Mike Jastrzebski's Blog, page 70

Amazon Prime update

By Mike Jastrzebski

Just a brief update today on my free offerings through Amazon Prime. The free offer on Dog River Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery) ended last Monday. The total free downloads were 3,322 copies over five days. Prior to the free offer I was selling between 8 and 10 copies a day. Since the offer ended I've been averaging 17 copies per day. Sunday I ran a sponsorship with Pixel of Ink. Sales are up substantially but I will not be able to tell how the free offer affected sales going forward because of the sponsorship.

Friday, the 3rd, I ran Key Lime Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery) for free for two days. During this time the book was downloaded 10,613 times. It's too early to judge sales but I will post early results next week.

Sunday I also listed Weep No More free for one additional day. Next week The Storm Killer will be free Friday the 10th through Sunday the 12th.

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Would you do it again?

Back home in Fort Lauderdale

I arrived back home and tied my boat to my home dock on Sunday, January 29th at around 2:30 in the afternoon after my overnight passage from Cape Canaveral. I'd left New Bern on Dec. 30 intending to get home in one month, and I hit that one pretty damn close. I was tired after a long night of no sleep, but so, so happy to be able to stop boat driving for a while and settle back into a writing routine. A couple of days later, after I'd rested up a bit, I went out to lunch with a friend of mine and her first question was, "So, would you do it again?"

Absolutely. The funny thing about boating is that it's so easy to forget the times you were scared or cold or miserable – and you only remember the good times. A selective memory is a sailor's best friend. Well, maybe I wouldn't do this same trip down the ICW in January, but I will take off cruising again. Soon. I collected such marvelous memories this past month, I have no regrets.

Leaving Canaveral for the trip outside

The weather was gorgeous when I motorsailed out of Canaveral and just after sunset that night, I was able to turn off the engine and really sail for a while. It was kind of amazing to be posting on Facebook (via my iPad) and interacting with friends who were watching my progress on Spot while I was sailing through the black night with the lights of the Florida coastline to starboard and the lights of passing ships to port. The autopilot was steering the boat while I stretched out on the cockpit seat and thought, it doesn't get any better than this. I'd already forgotten the bitter cold nights I'd experienced in North Carolina.

I'll always remember the friends of a friend who invited this solo sailor (via email) to raft up to their boat behind their home in Palm Coast – then invited me to sit at their family dinner table for a great spaghetti dinner and shared stories of past cruises and deliveries. It was one of those typical nights of sailors getting together – one of those "first liar doesn't have a chance" tale telling evenings we sailors love so much.

Then there was the night in New Smyrna Beach when I connected with a friend I had known thirty years ago when we were both running charter boats with our husbands in the Virgin Islands. My email to her out of the blue led to her picking me up at the marina and taking me out to a fun local restaurant where I got to meet her friends and watch the local talent at Karaoke Night.

Chip was always ready for a dinghy ride to shore

There were so many anchorages I selected just because there would be a small landing where I could get the Intrepid Seadog ashore to stretch his little legs (or lift one), but with the cold and often wet weather he had to wear his little doggy sweater and oilskins. Layers of clothes usually kept us snug and warm.

As beautiful as many spots were, it was always the company, both human and canine that made the trip special for me. I benefitted so often from the kindness of strangers, like the Butlers who have a beautiful home in Beaufort, South Carolina and offer their dock as a cruising station to members of the Seven Seas Cruising Association. They, too, invited me into their home for a wonderful dinner and then drove me all around to see the sights of their spectacular home town.

Chip asleep in the studio while I write

Chip and I are now settled in to our little one-room studio apartment in Fort Lauderdale, and I have started work on a new book. It's great to have a big writing desk and access to all my books, as well as fast reliable Internet. The little guy seems to like the fact that the floor isn't rocking and rolling, but when I took him down this afternoon because I had the chance to move my boat to a better dock, his tail was wagging-away when I put him in the cockpit and fired up the engine again.

So, I've been looking at the charts already and thinking about spring. I have lots of boat projects and repairs and a wish list a mile long, but I figure by April the Bahamas will be calling.  Chip and I will both be ready to toss off the dock lines again. I'd probably get more writing done if I just stayed here for six months to a year, but honestly? That ain't gonna happen.

See, last spring, I quit my job and moved onto my boat to write. And that's the sweet thing about writing – you can do it on a boat anchored off an island somewhere. I've been thinking about those conch fritters they serve at Pineapples on Green Turtle Cay and last spring I never made it down to Little Harbor and Pete's Pub. And Mike has been working on his boat Rough Draft getting her ready to go. It's always nice to have another boat around when you cross the Gulf Stream.

Hey Mike, you want to Buddy Boat?

Fair winds!

Christine

Author of CIRCLE OF BONES
Available for Kindle and Nook

 

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PIRATES!!!

C.E. Grundler

The other day I stumbled across something rather surprising – a book listed under the 'BOOKS BY C.E. GRUNDLER'. There it was, right below Last Exit, a nifty little book titled How to Make a Kindle Cover for Less than a Pizza', published back in early November, and it was selling for $2.99. And it had received a mediocre review because though the buyer liked the overall concept, they felt it was 1.) overpriced for such a basic tutorial, and 2.) the pictures didn't even match up with the text.

Hmmm. Okay, let me rephrase that. WTF? I did write something like that, sort of, but it was on my blog, along with several other tutorials, FOR FREE, and the pictures DID line up with the instructions. But this had MY name on it, and when I took a 'Look Inside', sure enough, there were my words, taken directly off my blog, along with my pictures of my tutorial, laid out on my kitchen table, next to my coffee cup while my cat looked on. You can even see my very unusual antique nightlight in the corner and my needlepoint on the wall.

No question, it's MY content. But wait. If people posting reviews, that meant people were buying, which meant… WTF??? It most certainly wasn't on my KDP bookshelf, or my bank account, for that matter.

Someone had the audacity to pirate my work, my pictures, and worst of all, MY NAME! And, to add insult to injury, they'd formatted it poorly, and as a result, were getting negative reviews! Under MY NAME!

I immediately contacted the nice folks over at Amazon and explained the situation. They promptly pulled the offending book, then requested that I forward them documentation to support my claim that the work published under my name was indeed mine, taken and being sold without my permission, which "constitutes copyright infringement". If I recall, when you first publish, there's a whole lot of fine print about how you're not supposed to do that. And it seems Amazon has a Legal Department all set up to address these issues.

So be warned, what you post on a blog today may very well wind up as someone else's 'ebook' tomorrow. I asked Amazon to look at what KDP account these sales were going into, and if they might have been selling books on how to fix leaky decks as well!

On another note, I have the release dates for the Last Exit In New Jersey and No Wake Zone, as well as the new cover design for Last Exit!

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An Author's Best Friend?

One of the characters in my novel A Single Deadly Truth is a retired hockey player named Marty Daponte. Somewhere midway through writing the book I decided that Marty should have a pet dachshund named Bear. Quickly, I learned that putting a dog in a story can be challenging, primarily because your character can't just take off and leave for several days – just as in real life, someone needs to tend to the dog. Even so, I had some fun with Bear.

For those who are familiar with dachshunds, Bear is a standard size "black and tan." I note this because another dachshund, a "standard-red" named Comet, occupies our own house. And while Comet was close-by during the composition of A Single Deadly Truth, it was Bear, not Comet, who worked his way into the story. The work is, after all, fiction.

This talk of dogs may seem a bit foolish, especially for those who have never had one. And you know what? Dogs do frequently make people act foolishly. But if you've had a canine in your life, you've likely been under the loving eye of a faithful and protective companion. And just as a novel may provide some escapism or comic relief in your life, so too can the family pet. How do I know this?

Check out Comet as he sings along to the song "A Pirate Looks at Forty."

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"Suppose I called you and idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress, but I repeat myself." Mark Twain.

Today Floridians vote in the Republican primary. If you're an American, it is your right to choose one candidate from another for an upcoming election. Is this case a presidential election. I'll be covering the primary voting for Reuters and when I received the assignment it got me to thinking about elections, voting and my island, so I thought I'd share my thoughts and fears with you.

I  live in Key West, and, as you know or should know, it's a small island community. About half the population is snowbirds, people who live here in the winter and go back north come summer. Some of them register to vote here for tax purpose, no state tax, and may or may not bother to vote in person or by absentee ballot. If I remember right, our population is about 24,000, give or take, on our 2-by-4 mile island. Of course, any given weekend that figure doubles with tourists and for Fantasy Fest, New Years, and other weekend events it often triples.

Here in Key West, and possibly in Monroe County, where the island is located, each vote counts. Yeah, every vote counts. Not like in the big, over populated cities. We've had tied elections were the names were then put in a hat and the name drawn was declared the winner. In other cases, we've had elections won by a few votes, as few as two or three.

It's my opinion, that it's a shame voter turnout throughout our great country is dismal at best. We, as a population, have never known a dictatorship and most of us alive today cannot think of a time our parents and grandparents didn't hold lively discussions about who to vote for prior to an election.

We've taken that privilege for granted and we shouldn't. It reminds me of Ray Bradbury's classic "Fahrenheit 451." Yeah, we've all seen the TV or movie footage of the Nazi Party burning books at public mass rallies, but it can't happen in our free society.

Don't be so sure. I don't know if it's only the Monroe Country Library, or if libraries around the country set aside a week dedicated to the books that have been banned in schools and libraries or books that have been suggested by groups to be banned. In some cases, school boards have given in to the protestors and have taken books off shelves, even though attorneys have told the boards the courts will not allow it. But the board does it to placate the small group of protesters. Reminds me of Chamberlin and Hitler. Give 'em a little, and they'll take what they want.

The best reality TV on recently has been the Republican debates. It has gone to show that it's not necessarily the best candidate that moves forward but the candidate with the most money that moves to the front of the pack. I don't think the Republicans have a lock on that situation.

Mark Twain's quote is probably one-hundred years old, give or take, and it doesn't point to either political party, but to Congress in general. It doesn't matter the party, the government is bought and paid for by big corporations. We, the voting public, are losing the battle, no, let me rephrase that, we are giving our right to have our vote count away. We do it by not voting. Not saying or doing something, sometimes says a lot.

The premise would make a great Si-Fi story, like Bradbury's. If I were a Si-Fi writer, I'd begin on it. I just hope that in a few years it will not be suitable for a mystery novel set in Key West where the election to cancel elections is approved by one vote.

Before you discount the possibility, remember that Jules Vern wrote Si-Fi or, as some have suggested, he had a time machine and came from the future. It explains how he got so many things about the future right. Maybe Ray Bradbury found Vern's time machine? Hope not.

www.michaelhaskins.net

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KDP Select-early results

By Mike Jastrzebski

Last week I wrote about putting my books up for free through the Amazon Prime program. My first offering was Weep No More, my psychological thriller which I am offering at .99 cents. The book was free January 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. During those 3 days 1283 copies were downloaded for free in the US and 246 copies were downloaded for free in the UK.

Prior to the 21st I had sold 17 copies of Weep No More in the US and 0 copies in the UK during the month of January. Since the end of the offer I have sold 154 copies of Weep No More in the US and 16 copies in the UK. I should point out that on Thursday the 26th I ran a Kindle Nation Daily sponsorship and I sold 76 of the 154 on that day.

On the 26th I also began a 5 day free offering of Dog River Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery). Through Sunday, the 29th I have given away 2645 copies of Dog River Blues in the US and 150 copies in the UK.

In a typical month in the UK, I sell maybe 3 or 4 books. This month, mostly since I ran Weep No More for free, I've sold 3 copies of Dog River Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery), 5 copies of Key Lime Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery), 1 copy of The Storm Killer, and the 16 copies of Weep No More in the UK.

I think I made the right decision putting all of my books into the Prime program, but you can judge that for yourself. Next week I'll report on my sales of Dog River Blues following the free run. Also next Friday the 3rd and Saturday the 4th, Key Lime Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery) will be free at Amazon.

I

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Amazon Prime-early results

By Mike Jastrzebski

Last week I wrote about putting my books up for free through the Amazon Prime program. My first offering was Weep No More, my psychological thriller which I am offering at .99 cents. The book was free January 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. During those 3 days 1283 copies were downloaded for free in the US and 246 copies were downloaded for free in the UK.

Prior to the 21st I had sold 17 copies of Weep No More in the US and 0 copies in the UK during the month of January. Since the end of the offer I have sold 154 copies of Weep No More in the US and 16 copies in the UK. I should point out that on Thursday the 26th I ran a Kindle Nation Daily sponsorship and I sold 76 of the 154 on that day.

On the 26th I also began a 5 day free offering of Dog River Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery). Through Sunday, the 29th I have given away 2645 copies of Dog River Blues in the US and 150 copies in the UK.

In a typical month in the UK, I sell maybe 3 or 4 books. This month, mostly since I ran Weep No More for free, I've sold 3 copies of Dog River Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery), 5 copies of Key Lime Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery), 1 copy of The Storm Killer, and the 16 copies of Weep No More in the UK.

I think I made the right decision putting all of my books into the Prime program, but you can judge that for yourself. Next week I'll report on my sales of Dog River Blues following the free run. Also next Friday the 3rd and Saturday the 4th, Key Lime Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery) will be free at Amazon.

I

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Brain dead

Sunrise over St. Augustine lighthouse

by Christine Kling

I would like to write something really clever tonight for this blog. But the fact is, after 10 hours of driving a sailboat like a motorboat, of getting up before dawn and then scanning the water ahead and the depth sounder and the iPad chart plotter, I am done in – spent – brain dead.

Neither the charts or the Magenta Line are always accurate

There's lots that I have enjoyed about the waterway, but now I am getting to the point where I just want to get home. I've seen too much shallow water, found the deep water wasn't where the chart said it was (I was not aground in this screen shot), seen too many tide rips that almost prevented me from getting through a bridge or two, spent too many days bucking these south winds that have blown all the month of January, and spent too many nights in a current-plagued anchorage getting up all night to see where the boat has swung and to check the depth sounder.

Pelican dreaming on a marker - like me

My shoulders ache from hours at the helm because my autopilot can't keep me in the channel, and I find myself sleeping poorly as I dream of red and green markers all night. I'm tired. And tonight , I am in New Smyrna Beach at mile marker 845, and the turn up my river towards home will not come until mile marker 1065.

Tomorrow, I am going to have to make a choice. I am considering heading out the inlet at Cape Canaveral and making a passage offshore to just get home. A front is coming through and tomorrow is going to be a crummy day with rain and wind gusting to 30. Today, I had 20 knots against current on the Halifax River. Not fun. But behind the front, the winds are supposed to clock around to the north, and depending on what forecast I look at, they may not be too strong.  I could do one overnight passage and get home.

The question is am I up to it? Is the boat? Is Chip? I'm so brain dead, I'm not even sure I can make a good decision.

If I do decide to head offshore, I will anchor somewhere close to Canaveral tomorrow night and then head outside on Saturday. You won't have to wait until next Friday to learn what I did, though. You can follow me on my SPOT transponder by checking me out at this website:  http://tinyurl.com/talespinner.

This afternoon, I got an email from a dear friend who follows my travels on my spot page. She sent this screen shot in an email with the message: "Look at what you were approaching at around 2:30pm this afternoon." (Hint: you won't get it if you haven't read any of my first four books) It's pretty funny when my followers know more about what I'm doing and where I am than I do. I guess that's what happens when you're brain dead.

Fair winds!

Christine

Author of CIRCLE OF BONES
Available for Kindle and Nook
 
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Prepping for launch day…

C.E. Grundler

A few seasons back I recall a fellow with a rather pretty old wooden boat, up on the hard not far from us. He had recently purchased this lovely classic looking vessel, and he took great pride in it. And while we worked away on one dirty, unglamorous project or another, there he was, readying for the upcoming summer, freshening paint and brightwork, polishing every inch of brass until that little boat sparkled. Still, I couldn't help but recall how, when he hauled out the previous fall, he'd mentioned a myriad of issues, both with mechanical systems and loose seams below the waterline – issues I never saw him address as launch day approached. And one warm spring morning, in the boat went – and not long after began to take on vast volumes of water. It was just as quickly hauled out, and then remained back beside us for the next two months as he made the necessary repairs.

Meanwhile, the brightwork aboard my own boat remains a matter of great embarrassment to me. I actually enjoy the rituals of varnish upkeep, and my last boat was a fine example of what ten coats of Epifanes over every inch of exposed wood can look like. However, I can't see the point of tackling the brightwork until the more critical issues are wrapped up. And I suppose that philosophy spills over to my writing as well.

After another intensive week of revisions, No Wake Zone went back into my editor's hands. We're coming down to the end, all the major revisions had been hammered out, and this was the point where I'd gone through the entire book yet again, sentence by sentence, tweaking dialog and refining descriptions, inspecting how the words flowed, hunting down extraneous adjectives, and giving everything that final polish. My hope is that we've caught all the issues, that all the mechanical workings operate as they should, that the plot is sound, with no holes or leaks. This is the scary, thrilling part. The last boat has held up well and is floating along nicely, and the brightwork has a decent shine. The question is, once I launch it, how will my new addition to the fleet compare?

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Easing Into Things

The best advise I have found to give clients when purchasing a yacht is to ease into buying new items. Not every piece of equipment you read about in the magazines will fit your needs. Instead, slip the docklines and head off to Bimini immediately subsequent to purchase with no upgrades except resolving safety issues found by the surveyor. Within one week of cruising, your list of desires will have drastically changed.

Easing in is not just in purchasing a boat but more generally in purchasing anything. And even beyond, easing in applies to any new engagement in life; writing is no exception. When I first started writing, one of the critical mistakes I feel I made was to write too much. I always get too excited about new passions and go overboard.

I am glad I made it through and back to a normal pace because I think a lot of people start hot, unleash a burst of writing, and then go cold and stop. I write one Waves post every Wednesday, post here every other Wednesday, and then freelance if I get inspired.

Maybe you will be a writing animal like Mike or C.E. pumping out novels every other couple months. Or maybe you just like to comment on things or do a Tumblr account. I think the important part is to ease into things, see where you end up, and maintain that comfort level. If you do that long enough, you are bound to stumble onto some idea or creation. And just like when buying a yacht, you may end up with in an entirely different set of circumstances than you expected.

Ever read the parable of the monkey and the alligator? Check into my blog, Waves, every Wednesday for not only a post about my life in yacht sales but also a short joke or parable.

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