Just a quick post … I’m on a short vacation right now but will be returning home in a few days and will then resume writing here.
More than 700 copies of my book have sold, which is amazing to me. Is it a blockbuster? Well, technically, no. It makes me feel like perhaps I’ve been able to help a few people, which makes it a blockbuster for me.
More blog posts soon …
After I made that post this morning, I thought about how weird it is to be writing under two pseudonyms. I mean, where’s the real me in this equation?
I also wrote the other day about feeling the need to reveal my true identity here and having misgivings about it.
If I were a psychiatrist, I’d have a field day analyzing … well, me. Now this is getting REALLY weird …
Last night I was freaked out by the idea of losing half of our household income. Maybe it won’t come to that, but I can’t afford — literally — to paint a rosier picture of the situation and pretend the threat doesn’t exist. I suppose one “benefit” of being someone like me is that my danger meter is quite strong and doesn’t let me sit idly by while disaster strikes. I’ll never be one of those people who says, “I never saw it coming.”
I’ve never done any work via Elance, so last night I wrote five proposals responding to freelance job ads on there. No idea if I’ll get any of them, but it was a good exercise to see a) what people are looking for in the freelance marketplace (writing of all kinds), and b) what they’re willing to pay for it (read: not much).
I’m also reading two excellent books about how to promote my Kindle books. One of them says that hiring a cover designer is an “absolute must,” or I’ll create something “so ugly” it won’t be attractive to potential readers. OK, well, I designed the covers myself and they were … serviceable.
After finishing writing the Elance job responses, I sat down with Photosthop for about an hour and revamped the covers of my two short stories on Amazon for Kindle. Are they perfect? No. Are they eye-catching and provocative? I think so. Enough to get more people to click? I hope so. You be the judge. 
Twenty-four hours ago, I was saying good bye to my daughter at the airport. As you may recall, I wrote a letter to her for that occasion. (Quick P.S.: She thanked me for it — it was a lovely moment between us.)
This morning, she called from England, and everything is fine. She was tired but getting herself organized, so all is well there.
But at home … not so much. Let’s just say that I’m pretty sure I’m about to face a serious financial crisis, and I need to do something about it. I need to find an escape route — and fast.
All my daydreaming about what I really want to do with my life? It will need to take a back seat to bringing in more money until the crisis is over. I’m fortunate to have a full-time job, and I’m even more fortunate that my salary is going up slightly next month. So that will help, but only a little.
That will still leave a $ gap that’s, well, pretty sizable. I hope — hope — this crisis can be averted, but I’d rather be prepared for it and know my options than be caught off guard. Nothing like a crisis to get one to spring into action, right? Time to find an effective escape route and get to safety …