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| El Tajin Ruins - Big show the evening before Spring. |
Ever since I first saw that phrase on a wall in the movie "Kuffs", it has been one of my favorites. Because it is so true, as I have recently discovered, once again.
I had a lot of grandiose plans for book promotion, marketing, and taking advantage of the Amazon KDP Select promotions. This all came to a screeching halt when a member of my family had a medical emergency. It was one of those situations where I had to just drop everything and handle necessary matters. It turned out to be a full week of unplanned activities, all prior to a planned week in Mexico to visit with friends and family. The good news is that the family member is doing quite well now. And thanks to my many loving friends and family members, I was able to continue with my trip to Mexico. Fortunately, for you, I won't step through all the details and pictures from my trip. (As awesome as it was!)
What's this have to do with writing? Well, per the phrase at the top, things happen. There are things that carry more weight than my personal desire to write. I thrive on my relationships with my family, friends, and my spirituality. My writing takes a back seat to these things. This also helps me to keep my balance. Sure, it would be nice to just lock myself up somewhere and do nothing but crank out words till a book is completed. But life doesn't work that way for me. I would like to think that keeping this view helps me to be a happier and well balanced person.
Okay, yes! There is a point here. Don't let life interrupting situations deter you from your goals! Just because I've had to put things on the back burner for awhile, it doesn't mean I've abandoned my goals and my direction. It also helps to be flexible. Realize that there will be things that interrupt the writing process. Go with the flow. Take care of what is important and then continue. The books and stories might not happen when you originally thought they would. But if you keep at it, they will happen, and you will reach your goals.
Driving to a Destination
One thing I will mention about my trip to Mexico is that I got to do some driving while I was down there. It was a enlightening experience. Road markings, signs, lines, and lights are merely suggestions. It's not NASCAR driving but it IS like Formula One. You get as close as possible, dive for position, with as much speed as nerves will endure, and just go for it. In a sense, it was actually refreshing. And when I reflect on the whole experience, it has the appearance of a large dance in which everyone enters a room surrounded by doors. Everyone manages to reach their destination with a minimum amount of contact.
So, I'm back on track. I've reached a destination and I've actually managed to pick up a passenger along the way. I had one of those moments where I was dreaming and I was able to wake up well rested and still had the dream in my mind. It sparked an idea for a book. I spent several hours that day writing down the ideas. It was pretty exciting. Each idea and plot in the story lead to more ideas. I can't wait to get started on it.
However, first things first! I have to put the ribbon on Zegin's Abduction, get it edited, and then published as the next story in the Zegin's Adventures series. I'm preparing to do some promotions via Amazon's KDP Select program with the help of a few promotional outlets on the web. I'm hoping for some good results.
Speaking of results:
Latest Statistics
Klout Score: 53 (+1)
TT.com Page Loads for the past month: 870 (-207)
Twitter Followers: 1603 (+190)
G+ Peeps Following: 578 (+153)
Zegin's Infection Sales/Downloads: 17
The lack of promotional activity for two weeks has contributed to the drop in the page loads. Plus, I've not posted to the blog for a while. However, the Twitter and G+ increases are nice. I'm starting to post the book downloads as well. Yes, this is pretty low. But with all things considered, I'm actually pleased. Aside from some Twitter and G+ postings, I've really not done much promoting.
I did receive another review on Amazon while I was in Mexico. While it's for 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 on Amazon), it's a very fair review and I'm pleased with it. I haven't been fishing for reviews so I feel pretty good about what has been said.
Well, that's the update for now. Keep on reading and writing!
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