DISTRACTIONS DISTRACTIONS DISTRACTIONS

The best laid plans of mice and men oft time go astray. In the past two weeks I've suffered through one distraction after another after an another. And for the past several days while I might be retired, my wife's still working; and right now she's on vacation, which needless to say this has left me without any time to any writing. Right now she still has five days left. I finally made the decision last week to go and try my hand at selling my first book at a street fair. The fee is $200, this includes a one-day license fee to sell my book, the base fee, but also includes $50 for the rental of a tent, table and two chairs. Hopefully with people able to actual hold the book in their hands, my reducing the price so when I add in the required sales tax, the new price is an even dollar amount, eliminating the need to have any loose change. I just hope that next week, that Saturday will be a beautiful day.

TIME TO SPEED UP

It's been about twelve days since my last post and I've only written a total of ten pages. Too many things keep popping up and getting in the way. Today, I'm schedule to participate in a paid survey so there goes about four hours. Tomorrow, in an attempt to sell more copies of my award winning book, I'm heading to a flea market about 70 miles away. Hopefully I can sell enough copies to finally make a small profit so I can finally proceed on publishing my other writing endeavors. But I hestitate in doing this because as far as I see, I need more people buying book online to give me a sense they're ready to see my next one coming out. I can also use these funds to pay for some good advertising in some newspaper, but that too is also a gamble. Or well, my goal is to complete 45 double-spaced pages of pure typing by the end of next month before I start editing and deleting portions.

A BREAKTHROUGH HAS FINALLY OCCURRED

Sorry for the LOOONG DELAY since my last post, but after weeks of having a blank as to what to write as my fourth book a light bulb has FINALLY COME ON inside my head. I've been a member of the CWA [Cat Writer's of America] since 2010 and I felt it was time for me to write another children's book. probably another early reader that has a cat has the main character. And today I was at loooong fast able to time my first double-spaced page on my computer. I'm not going to rush in writing this as I still have two other manuscripts I would like to start the process of getting it published through CreatSpace, but I still need to generate sales on my first [award winning] children's book, "A Lesson My Cat Taught Me." to create the necessary funds to begin. I'm setting an easily attainable goal of two double-spaced pages a page. I'm taking it nice and easy, as the old saying goes "HASTE MAKES WASTE". So welcome back on board as I begin journey through this writing endeavor.

I'VE DONE IT AGAIN

With everything I've been involved with for the past few weeks, I've neglect to take care of my blog here on blogspot.com. I went to the "Books Without Borders" event in Yonkers, NY yesterday I like I had planned, but unfortunately the weather [light showers on/off] kept everyone away. At least, I had enough people buying my award winning children's book to cover all of my costs for the event, with a few extra dollars to take my wife, who had occuppied me there, out for a late lunch. [we left about 2:15 PM]. And wouldn't you know it, when we arrived at our lunch destination the sun finally came out. I'm still trying to start writing my fourth manuscript for an early reader children's book. I'd like to write my second book with a cat as a main character, but every time I do, I hit a point where I can't take my story any further. It's not a matter of writer's block, because I've tried everything I know to overcome it. Maybe it's about time that I should move on to a different type of storyline. What I'd love to happen is for someone, anyone to give me a one to three word idea for a story so I can start my fingers moving across my keyboard again. Just as I wanted to get typing again for my fourth manuscript again, I got called for Grand Jury, which I've already served one week, with three more weeks to go. Perhaps I'll be able to sell a few copies of my book to my fellow jury members. If I don't, at least I can asked them for an idea. On a brighter note CreateSpace, which is owned by Amazon, has opened up the UK and several other European countries for free. This now means spending A LOT of time trying to find sites which deal with children's books, cat lovers, etc. It has also lowered the threshold for receving a royalty check from $20 to $10. So from now on I'm going to post on a more regular basis. Which means increasing the number of followers I get here and my website/blog at http://www.saweb22.webs.com. I also will have to increase my followers on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/catlesson.

GETTING FORGETFUL

It has taken me until now to get back into here. I just forgot my password.
I'm OK now and I've got my logon/password coded in such a manner I can instantly recall it.

Anyway, I've decided after numerous rewrites to ditch my fourth early reader, a story revolving around a cat. I just couldn't get anywhere with it. It reached a point where no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't find the crucial sentence which would take me beyond where I'm stuck, to the light at the end of the tunnel.

So here I sit searching for a key word, phrase or idea which would ignite my flow of words again. For those who have decided to stick with me as followers of my blog here. I'd like to offer everyone here, a 10% discount on my award winning children's book, until April 30, 2012 when the code G3LQ6VCM is entered when checking out. Feel free to pass this offer on to your friends / family.

JUST FINISHED REVIEWING # 1

I've finished reviewing the manuscript for one of my completed book.
The tentative title is The Magic Jumping Bean and it tries to convey
the idea of gaining self-confidence.

I've still need no increase in the sale of my 1st Early Reader - Children's Book which was a runner-up in the 2011 Smart Writ Awards - Children's Books Category.

I should be starting the review of my other manuscript which is also
an early reader before the end of the week.

TAKING A STEP BACKWARDS

After not doing any real writing for the past few months. I'm going back to the two
children's book [early reader] manuscripts I've already completed to take a look at them with a set of "totally new eyes" and see if there's anything I need to change
I need to sell about 500 more copies to get enough funds to self-publish at least one of them
]

OH MY GOODNESS

Hi Guys,

I just received an email from one of my follower reminding me I haven't posted anything since last August. I can't believe a half of a year has gone by since then.

All I can say is. I've been most forgetful of late. Perhaps being a young senior citizen has gotten to me. With all the things which were coming up for me to take care of I kept putting this blog off for the next day. The next day became yesterday. Anyway in recent months I rewrote two early readers children's books, and I currently working on two more.

THE IMPORTANT NEWS I HAVE TO TELL EVERYONE IS THAT
My children's book 3rd Place in the 2011 Smart Writ Awards - Children's Books Category The contest is organized by Smart Book Lovers whose membership is comprised of individuals who are members of MENSA and other Hi IQ associations. http://www.book-lovers.net [Please be advised somehow they used the old cover for my book, which I had while being published by a small press publisher]

My children's is entitled "A Lesson My Cat Taught Me" and is available through Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Lesson-My-Cat-Taught-Me/dp/1452810885

Please pass this information on to your family & friends.