Abso-bloody-lutely English

I’ve self-diagnosed myself as a closet Anglophile. One who wishes she could dedicate more time and money to the pursuit of this all-abiding interest. Certainly it affects my book selection: Mary Stewart is one of my all time favorites, and I’m a great fan of Regency historicals. I love to read modern novels set in Great Britain as well, but I always feel a little wistful after I’ve finished. I’m always thinking…how exciting it would be to live there, to go on holiday somewhere on the Isles.

I’ve been once for work. I flew into Birmingham and immediately flew out and into Glasgow. I was sick for the better part of a week, until, still feeling quite under the weather, I ventured out on my last weekend day. I took the train to Edinburgh, thoroughly enjoyed the countryside, and came up out of the station onto a city caught between yesterday and today. I absolutely loved it! Including the banana ‘milkshake’ I bought that ended up only being banana-flavored milk. That was years ago, and no opportunity has since presented itself for me to return. My husband is much more interested in the Caribbean than in wet, windy, chilly Britain, and now he worries about terrorist attacks. One day, I’ve promised myself, I’ll go back. I’ll visit London and do all the touristy things, see for myself all those landmarks mentioned in all the Regencies. I’ll tour the countryside and visit the castles, take a walking tour and whatever else strikes my fancy.

Until then, I can but read about it….I just finished the cheeky Cinderella tale
The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne and thought it was top-notch. Now I’m reading Cecilia Ahern’s If You Could See Me Now. It’s pulled me right in. I also occasionally watch the British-set home and garden shows on HGTV. I’d watch more if I were more conscientious and looked at the guide. (And if my husband ever relinquished control of the remote). I love to hear the quirky phrasing, proper accents and lilting rhythm--I even imagine it all as I'm reading. Friday I bought myself some tea to eat with biscuits, but I’ve yet to buy the biscuits. For now the lemon cooler Girl Scout cookies I bought will have to do.

Decisions…decisions...

Well, I’m not exactly finished with Book #2 yet, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about which publishing route to take. Of course self-publishing is a definite option (and certainly a fall-back), but I wonder whether I should go the road less traveled and try for an agent and publisher so that I don’t have to do all the work myself.

Both have their advantages. Self-publishing my first book required a large financial investment up front (for ISBN’s, packing supplies, business checks, etc.), and a good portion of that would be deferred this time around. Also, I’ve learned a huge amount from this first book, doing it all on my own. Timing is the name of the game, and contacts are invaluable. So you could say, I’d be prepared this time around. But it’s so much work! You are everything: author, publisher, publicist, shipping clerk, administrative assistant, a regular gal-of-all-trades. And guess how much writing gets done while you’re wearing all these other hats? Not so much.

Now to go the other route, I’d have to start with an agent search. And if I managed to pique one’s interest, she would then start off on the search for a publisher. Of course, at that point I’d be a little out of the loop, but that would be prime (if nerve-wracking) writing time. If I were to sell, then someone else would be in charge of my cover, the editing, the placement, and a portion of the marketing and promotion. I’d still have to shoulder some of the burden of “selling yourself”, but that’s life as an author.

Tough questions…no definitive answer yet. My husband is all for self-publishing which is a little surprising because we’re still warehousing boxes of Unladylike Pursuits, but then…he’s a prince.

Another Signing...

Today was my fifth book-signing, my first this year. It was at the Baybrook Borders in Webster, TX, on the outskirts of Houston. And I must say, it was a very nice experience.

I tried to go with the whole Valentine’s Day theme: I wore a red blouse, a beaded necklace with a heart pendant, and I set a red melamine bowl on the table filled with red and silver Hershey’s kisses. I thought it was all very festive.

Well virtually nobody even looked at my candy bowl…with the exception of possibly every kid who came through the door. But I still had a nice selection of people to talk to.

The first man to buy a book had actually been waiting for me. He had somehow (I didn’t think to ask him how) discovered that my book is self-published, and had driven 30 miles up from Galveston to meet and talk with me. He was not a romance reader but a self-published author himself. Then there was the man who recognized me from church and wanted to hear all about me and my book, and the lady that sailed over to confide, “I’m going to have to get used to doing this soon.” (When she mentioned how she intended to have a book of poetry published soon, I assumed she meant signing). She picked up my book, and I asked if she was a romance reader. I’m quoting her directly: “I’d rather die.” And the oddest thing was that she didn’t consider for a moment that I might think that just a tad bit offensive! My nature is not confrontational (with strangers anyway), so I just suggested she try reading one sometime before consigning the whole genre to the trash bin. Two guys came by, ostensibly checking out the book but really only wanting candy. I suggested the book as a V-Day gift for girlfriends and one said, “When’s it going to be a movie?” I had no answer for that. Finally, the mother of an author from my local RWA chapter came by to buy a book. She handed me her daughter’s bookmark.

Those were the stand-outs but everyone was welcoming—three Borders booksellers bought the book, and everyone wished me the best of luck.

I worried over nothing…now if only my Florida signings follow this trend…

Torino

Okay. Am I the only one who has a crush on Apolo Anton Ohno? I was a little ga-ga watching him in the 2002 Olympics, and I saw an interview with him this morning on The Today Show, and he’s as cute as ever! Plus he seems totally down-to-earth and has a cool name to boot! I love to watch the opening ceremonies of the games, and I’m looking forward to watching all the men’s speed skating events. Who could resist?

Surfing for an Apolo photo, I found this...

Trade-offs

I find it so interesting how little most people are willing to spend on books. I’m referring specifically to paperbacks since I myself have not yet reached the point in my life that I’m shelling out $20+ for a hardback. A mass-market paperback novel can run you anywhere from $5.50 to $7.99 full price—I’m not dealing with trade paperbacks here…they run more into the $12-$16 range—and $4.13 to $5.99 at a discount store like Walmart or Target. So let’s just round it off to an even $6.00. Well I don’t know what the average reading speed is, but that $6.00 will provide me with probably five hours of reading pleasure. Most movies run a little under three hours, are more expensive, and the ticket is good for only one showing. A book you can keep and read over and over and over. Just stick it on a shelf and rediscover it another day.

People think nothing of spending $5.00 on a cup of gourmet coffee. And yet a $6.00 book seems pricey. Why is that? Is it really possible to get the same amount of enjoyment from a frothy, caffeine-spiked beverage as it is from a book?! I suppose if you’re not a reader, perhaps, or if the book turns out to be a disappointment, but how will you ever know if you don't first read it? If you’re a lover of books, why not just buy the book? Read it—perhaps over coffee—then trade it, donate it, make a gift of it, keep it, or whatever. You might find your measly $6.00 responsible for hours of giggles, sighs, and thrilling suspense, and with a book, you’re free to get up and go to the bathroom at anytime without missing a thing! Beside that, you’re reading, and that’s downright impressive these days.

It could be that book sales have dropped off as gourmet coffee consumption has exploded…a non-fat, gingerbread latte with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg is only slightly less than the cost of a book. So maybe it’s a trade-off: one or the other. A consumable or a classic. And the way book stores are setup now, you can read a novel in installments. Simply order your coffee, fetch your book in progress, and read through as many chapters as you can before the cup’s empty. Then note your page number, replace the book on the shelf, and find it again on your next visit. Bookstores have unwittingly become the new libraries. Or perhaps it was wittingly…maybe they lease space in their stores to the coffee cafés, maybe they get a portion of the profits, maybe they just don’t know what’s going on…