Kate McVaugh's Blog, page 5

Free ebooks 13 -15 Aug

Most of my novels are available for free download today, Aug 13, through Aug 15.
Amazon Author's Page

Barstool Sports & The Tadich Grill

I don’t read Barstool Sports and, if I’m honest, I don’t really get it. Dave Portnoy, on the other hand, is the man. Possibly, the first time I heard of him was during the dust up with Roger Goodell. That was all I needed to become an instant fan. He has my lifetime vote for El Presedente.
Portnoy started his Barstool Fund in mid-December to help save small businesses that are being wiped out by stupid governors and their lockdown insanity. A short trip through my area in the San Francisco East Bay is all one needs for proof of the Overlords’ Dastardly Deeds. Shop, after restaurant, after shop, closed for good.
A few weeks ago, I happened upon Portnoy’s Twitter feed and began to watch all the wonderful videos of dying businesses Getting the Call from Dave. This meant that they would not lose their livelihoods. Heartwarming, tear-rendering, tiny glimpses into the true goodness that exists in this world.
FULL POST HERE

Free Mystery Downloads

My two Jaz mystery books that take place in Tel Aviv will soon be available for free kindle downloads.

Murder, Jaz, & Tel Aviv, - Jan 6,7,8
Jaz, Tall Men, & Mayhem,- Jan 8, 9, 10

Free Thriller download

A Neapolitan Intrigue


Free Kindle download. Dec 13 & 14
Cozy Thriller set in Naples, Italy with brief flashbacks to Berkeley, CA 1969.

"Fast-paced, fun, great characters."

Jumping into YouTube

In my never-ending quest to find new ways to promote my books, I’ve now started a YouTube channel. I have had an author’s site and travel site for years. Neither have resulted in even one bestseller. I tired Facebook – three times – and ended up deleting them each and every time. (I can’t abide the voyeuristic aspect of Facebook.) A month or so ago, I delved into Twitter. Although my account is still up, the initial semi-excitement wore off on me after a few weeks. Again, it just feels too creepy. It was then that someone mentioned that I needed to promote my books on YouTube. So I set out to explore this new promotional avenue.
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New Author YouTube Channel

I have been told that it would be a good idea to start an AuthorTube channel.
If nothing else, I'm learning a whole new skill and having a lot of fun.
More videos to come.

Kate's Author Channel

The Oakland A's & Hot Pants Day

No live sports for months. This may be the worst part about the lockdowns.

We should all be watching baseball. Spring Training has come and gone and who knows when the boys will take the field again.

I’ve been left to watch replays in my mind, recollecting the Oakland A’s of old. We had a great team back then, filled with the superb players; Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, Sal Bando, Campaneris, Tenace – the list goes on. Owner Charlie Finley, quite a character, came up with gimmicks to promote the games. Hot Pants Day, June 27, 1971, had to be a favorite.

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Question Authority

I grew up in the sixties in perhaps the most liberal city in the country, albeit when liberalism was quite a different animal. Back then, civil liberties mattered. As a teenager, my friends and I protested against the Viet Nam War. We demonstrated against the draft. We valued our freedoms and revered the First Amendment. Question Authority may have been the most popular bumper sticker of the times.

The Gulag Archipelago, and 1984, were among mandatory reading material for the enlightened youth of my day. We well knew of the Soviet means of controlling their populations. We found it difficult to comprehend how a populace could go along with such measures. (Granted, there were more than a few who idolized Che and Cuba, or carried Mao’s Little Red Book, but that’s a topic for another day)

So why is it now, in 2020, that I am chastised by the old guard who used to cry foul when our civil liberties were at stake? Why is it deemed wrong to express the opinion that we can both protect the vulnerable and get back to work and open schools? Why does no one seem to mind Big Brother intruding on our liberties a little more with each passing day? For the mere mention of what I consider to be huge government overreach that is causing far greater damage than any virus ever could, I am reprimanded.
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Twitter, 2nd Attempt

Honestly, I just do not understand Twitter. Rather, I do not understand how people use it. Do they follow a list of IMPORTANT people and then just stare at their screens all day? Or are they more like me who hears about tweets on the newscasts?

Recently, I've found that I do check one person's tweets on a daily basis, because it generally makes my day. But that's once a day. And only one, sometimes two, people.

I somewhat understand the desire to respond to a particular tweet. But then I think, Why? Who the heck cares what one unknown, albeit quite marvelous, author thinks? Answer: No one.

All the same, in these desperate times of unemployment, I am trying to come up with more marketing strategies. Everything I've read tells me that authors must have Facebook. Several attempts at following that recommendation ended with deletion of my account. Facebook is entirely to voyeuristic and creepy for me. I tried the Twitter account a few years back. Did it get me noticed as an author? Of course not. Does anyone care what Kate McVaugh thinks? Most likely not.

Then yesterday, I opened a brand new Twitter account. Believe me, I am never at a lack for things to say. I can rattle on forever about a myriad of topics. Again I asked myself, who cares? At least who cares when its a few lines typed into a box. The answer remained the same: No one.

Therefore, all I have up on my new Twitter is my name, a link to my Amazon page, and one minor observation. I'm not following anyone. I have not Liked any tweets and, so far, have kept my opinions about other people's tweets to myself.

Yet, according to the stats, 50 people have seen my tweets and 5 have Engaged. Huh? How is that possible? What does Engaged mean?

For right now, it's another experiment. So far, I have no reason to delete my account. It does not come with the icky feelings I experienced with Facebook. Will it make me a Bestselling Author? Rather doubtful, but it doesn't hurt to try. Something has to work! Kate's website

Tofu!

It has been a month since I have been able to buy tofu...or maybe only three weeks. Lately, the days all seem to run together. However long it's been, I am thrilled.

Week one of lockdown I was only able to buy three cans of beans and a dozen eggs from 7-11. The following week I managed to score the last whole chicken at Safeway. Then today, not only did Trader Joe's have tofu, but also tortillas.
Forget hand sanitizer, bleach, alcohol, (not the drinking type), Lysol, or anything else one is supposed to use to kill the germs. Shameless hoarders.

Mostly, it's nice to get out and stand in line, six feet apart, from other early morning shoppers. We still manage to converse and share tales of the supply wars.

Inside the shops, I make sure to thank all the workers doing a job that has to be wearing on mind and body. I would always do this, but especially now when those checkers and shelvers tell me tales of customers who yell at them for not having a product available. They seem to be verbally abused on a daily basis. Here in the Land of Peace and Love, I find that quite disturbing. This morning, I witnessed a bit of that nastiness first hand.
Read More, See Pretty Pictures Here