I’ve been busy this week taking care of a sick family. I’m behind on writing, though with Evernote, I’m not as behind as much as I would be without it, and I’m trying to keep up with social media (read that as engage on Facebook with readers, Twitter is lost to me, and I have been very lax in my Pinning). I have also spent an inordinate amount of time going through stock photos because the Lone Star Sweets series is getting a new look. Again.
It sucks, y’all. It sucks big time. This series doesn’t sell. Maybe it’ll pick up with the release of the 3rd book, but I can’t even give The Cupcake Cowboy away for free or for $0.99. The experts say the easiest things to do are change covers, titles, categories, keywords, the blurb… I’ve changed the blurb, categories, keywords, and covers. We’re changing covers again because maybe there’s something not working for it. The next thing would be titles, however when asking readers, those who’ve responded have said they like the titles and play on words as they currently are. So, with that in mind, if changing the covers doesn’t work, along with the release of book 3 in the series, then I’m going to have set it and the plans for it aside and write on other things…
There was a discussion with readers on my Facebook page for more ink books… like Simple Need, but new… new characters, new everything. I can’t continue the Simple Need series unless I get it back from Ellora’s Cave, but I can write a whole new group of ink books and I’m starting to work on some ideas.
There are also shifters in the works. Three of them to be exact by the end of the year. One (a reindeer) is part of a holiday box set, one (a bobcat) is part of a group called Woodland Creek (more on this as information becomes available), and the last one (a wolf, I think) is part of a secret thing I can’t talk about yet because I’ve been told not to… So, there are those for you to look forward to.
Masked will be getting a facelift and I’m considering it as a serial, but haven’t quite figured it all out yet. Serials are popular. Maybe not with some of you, but with others, they are, so…
Beyond the writing things, the book things, I’ve been playing with some things on the website. I’ve talked about these before, but… The pop-up Newsletter sign-up? Yeah, it doesn’t get a lot of conversion, but I’m going to keep playing with it, hoping it’ll pick up. I had been trying out the RSS feature for the Newsletter, but it doesn’t seem very popular with some. With others, they’re enjoying it, getting everything right in their email, rather than having to come to the blog or going to a reader. I’ve suspended it for now, but I may try it again. It has brought more people to the website, but it’s cost a lot in unsubscribers. What do you think? Do you like getting the blogs in your email so you don’t have to go to an RSS reader like Feedly? Or, do you consider it spam?
The Facebook group still only has 10 members, but it’s been nice for some discussion. The Facebook page is more active now. Not a lot, but a little bit. I like that. Twitter is still lost and near dead to me, which honestly makes me very sad.
I believe that’s all that’s been happening this week and I believe that catches us all up. I’m always interested in your thoughts and ideas and comments, so please, give ’em to me.
The boys are racing in California this weekend. Kyle Busch is still home recovering, though he’s been moving around a bit on a walker and that’s great to see. I hope he’ll be back in the car before the season is over, but I don’t want to see him rush back and have problems that have nothing to do with racing. He’ll be a father in May, as well and his wife will need some help. Take it from someone who had a crushed ankle and a 6-week old baby who had to do most everything by herself during recovery. It’s not easy and without proper rest and care, the bones don’t heal right.
David Ragan has done a great job in the #18 though and I’m happy for him. Kurt Busch is off to a remarkable start after coming back to the car off suspension. Between the 4 and the 41 from Stewart-Haas Racing, you have to wonder about the 14 and the 10 and why they can’t seem to catch up. Though I’ve been wondering that about Kasey Kahne and the #5 out of Hendrick. And I wonder that about the #18 out of Joe Gibbs. It seems that two or three cars from a multi-car shop can do really well, but that fourth one just can’t seem to catch up. It’s been the #18 for several years now that’s been playing catch-up. A new crew chief each year. New drivers coming in each year. New resources going in to make and publicize the new drivers… It’s kind of frustrating as a fan, to be honest. But I still pull for him. I still back him completely.
And speaking of frustrating…let’s not even talk about March Madness, okay?
Have a good Sunday, y’all!
~lissa
