Wowzer!

I thought that writing contemporary stories about Native Americans was something worth pursuing when I got started, but things weren't taking off as fast as I had hoped. I love writing and researching and wasn't discouraged, but I wasn't sure how to get my foot in the door and get the word out about them once they were ready to go.

Enter my publisher's senior editor. She asked four of us to participate in a blog tour to get better exposure for our newest books. I'd never been on one before and honestly didn't have great expectations. It was going to be a lot of work and the rewards weren't guaranteed by any stretch, plus it was going to be hitting different blogs for nearly a month. That seemed like a long time to hold my breath.

Lo and behold, the activity started the very first day. People I'd never heard of were signing onto my website and blogs, plus Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads. Some were bloggers from the tour and some were interested readers, like one young man from Romania, of all places. Every day the list has grown.

People want to read Hollow Point. One host has already given the book a five star review. Another a five wineglass agreement with the review. This is by far the best promotional avenue I have experienced.

I have no idea how sales are going, but I'm not sure that matters so much right now. I don't need a yacht or a G5 jet for the time being anyhow. I think that what I needed was some validation and I got it on this tour! Stay tuned!

Gary

I've Become One Of The People I Knew

When I was a Paramedic long ago I'd have a few "regulars" that seemed to show up on a frequent basis. They were the frequent fliers. They weren't system abusers. They always had a legitimate need for emergency assistance when they called 9-1-1.

I must have seen one dear little old lady a couple of dozen times before she finally died in her bed. It was not unusual to call on her at least once a month. She was severely asthmatic and whenever we entered her home, you could hear her distinct wheezing from anywhere in her house.

I thought about her last weekend as I propped myself up on the Emergency Room gurney hearing myself wheeze with acute bronchitis a lot like she used to. I had just finished a couple of out-patient kidney stone procedures the week before, so this was way beyond humorous and approaching unbelievable. This month has been unique, to say the least.

One of the things I have come to realize is the farther down your health takes you, the harder it is to do the things that are supposed to improve it, like exercise and reasonable nutrion. If you want your joints to move, you must take more pills. You get tired of preparing nice meals for one and throwing away the left-overs from three weeks ago to make room for more left-overs in the fridge. Call in the microwave dinners.

You walk around Walmart and can barely get back in the truck when you're done shopping. You walk up a hill and all the dogs in the neighborhood bark at your wheezing. Changing lightbulbs in a ten foot ceiling is a nosebleed experience and hip fracture waiting to happen.

All I can say is if someone were to try to pick a fight with me, one of two things are hopefully available; Thirty seconds worth of super-charged, lightning fast Seal Team moves, or that I will be packing my nine millimeter and leave one round for myself if I miss with the rest of the clip. Anything after that would be humiliating.

At least when I write I can live vicariously through my characters and block out the need to listen to my body getting crumpled by time! I hear it is pretty normal, but I've never been accused of that before.

Gary

I Feel Like A Teeny-Bopper!

Next Monday (April 14th) kicks off the blog hop that myself and a few other authors from my publishing house, Champagne Book Group, are participating in. We'll tell you all about our books and ourselves, plus give away juicy secrets about what we do in our spare time. I don't have all the specifics just yet, but it promises to be a barn burner. Some of my colleagues can flat make me blush with some of the stories they have written. My innocense is at risk!

By the time you get done reading my contribution, you will know absolutely too much information, plus what color longjohns and wool socks I'm wearing that day. You might even find out where the idea for my book "Hollow Point" came from and who I am likely to offend (unintentionally, of course).

This should be a hoot, but it may be the last time my publisher lets me out of the asylum!

Gary