Alison DeLuca's Blog, page 35
February 15, 2012
Sick Day
My daughter is home today with a fever. Sick Day!
Hey, remember those? I'm showing my age, but here is what a sick day meant when I was in elementary school:
1. Old TV, including I Dream of Jeanie, F Post, Family Affair, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and Gomer Pyle.
2. Sick food: Chicken Noodle soup, ginger ale, saltines, and jello.
3. Board games: Snakes and ladders, Candyland, and Sorry. Not Monopoly - that took too long.
4. A midday nap: not so fun back then, but now it's the zenith of perfection.
5. Privileged view of kids going off in the bus and knowing you didn't have to go. (Insert evil snicker)
6. Reading in bed, part one: The allowed reading, like Pippi Longstocking, Moomintrolls, Nancy Drew.
I'll just sit here in this marsh and examine a clock. As you do.
7. Reading in bed, part two: The forbidden reading: Archie comics, Vampirella, and the babysitter's Sidney Sheldon. Pure, unadulterated dreck.
Wedgie alert, girlfriend. How about some nice yoga pants?
Good times.
Hey, remember those? I'm showing my age, but here is what a sick day meant when I was in elementary school:
1. Old TV, including I Dream of Jeanie, F Post, Family Affair, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and Gomer Pyle.

2. Sick food: Chicken Noodle soup, ginger ale, saltines, and jello.
3. Board games: Snakes and ladders, Candyland, and Sorry. Not Monopoly - that took too long.

4. A midday nap: not so fun back then, but now it's the zenith of perfection.
5. Privileged view of kids going off in the bus and knowing you didn't have to go. (Insert evil snicker)
6. Reading in bed, part one: The allowed reading, like Pippi Longstocking, Moomintrolls, Nancy Drew.

7. Reading in bed, part two: The forbidden reading: Archie comics, Vampirella, and the babysitter's Sidney Sheldon. Pure, unadulterated dreck.

Good times.
Published on February 15, 2012 05:38
February 14, 2012
Wild Fire - Lisa Zhang Wharton and Romance

I write with Lisa Zhang Wharton at Fantasy Island Book Publishing. Take a careful note of her name, because such a talented writer won't stay unknown for long. She is the author of Last Kiss in Tiananman Square, a story of doomed love before a tragic, historical event in China.She is also the author of many short stories (You can see more here and here) and this one captures the fire of romance, just in time for Valentine's Day.

The fire starts shortly after the dawn. The black smoke is blowing over the Mississippi from the boathouse, hovering over the river. Red flames are shooting up like vicious devils to declare their power as the precious wooden boats burn into ashes.Riding my bicycle along the river, the view of the boathouse burning rekindles the flame in my heart. The rowing season is over. So is my little interlude with Ray. Now the boathouse is engulfed in flames. The place that was filled with my beautiful moments with Ray is about to become just debris and cinders. Looking at the black smoke in the distance, I could not ignore the lingering heat in my heart. Is that what I am seeing in the distance, the still-smoldering fire in my heart? Those long-ignored smoldering embers, nearly forgotten, have enkindled a renewed fiery passion.. Through the smoke, past the blackened wooden A frame, I can still feel Ray and I having our wild kisses. In a dark corner of that boathouse, when everyone else was out rowing on the river, we had our very private time together.. As I watch the smoke and the flames licking the sky, I can feel him rubbing my hair. …The excitement has returned, but only for a brief second, as our special place burned in the distance.

*************************"The river is beautiful," said Ray, woke me up from my deep thinking."I thought you lived on the water.""Yes. I do. But lakes and rivers are very different. I never really appreciated that until now. OK! It's different, too, in a motorboat. You're usually just watching for traffic. On the river you see the bank, the trees, the houses and all the reflections.. Gee, I'm even starting to appreciate nature.""So write a poem for me," I was challenging him, which was always fun for me."Hey, don't push the envelope. Keep trying. Maybe after ten years, you will be able to get a few lines out of me."Then he turned around. "By the way, I will be on a business trip next week. I wouldn't be able to take lessons for a week."Looking at his eyes, his two small eyes were glowing like a river flowing through them.I stepped over and hugged him."I will miss you." Words slipped out of my mouth.He was silent for a long time. Then he started kissing me.
Published on February 14, 2012 04:49
February 13, 2012
Ice and Snow


"Why ever not?" I asked.
"They make me sad," she replied.
I looked at the list. There was Snow, and Ice, as well as Valentine and Washington. "What's wrong with those words?" I wondered.
She pointed to Valentine. "I know that's going to happen," she said. "But there isn't any snow. And there isn't any ice."
It has been an uncommonly warm winter. For some folks, that is a good thing. No digging out the driveway, no huge piles of snow where you want to park ... that's all good. But from a kid's perspective, there isn't any sledding (we call it sleigh riding in my area of New Jersey) or snowball throwing or icicle gathering and eating. (My kid loves icicles, more than ice pops.)

Remember the scene when it snowed in To Kill a Mockingbird? Scout and her brother went to all the neighbors' houses and asked them for their snow. With what they collected, they were able to build one snowman.
That's what we did in the last "storm." We scraped all the snow off the lawn and managed to make a decent sized snow dude. A day later, he melted.
The crocuses are coming up early. Soon, the pear trees will start to bud in the front lawn. Easter will come along, and winter will be over.
It's a good thing. But also a shame.
Published on February 13, 2012 10:05
February 12, 2012
Free Books for Kindle Download 2/12/12; Romance books contest
All of these books are free for Kindle download today, Sunday, February 12 2012. Just click on the titles to go to the Amazon page.

BinaryBrooklyn- is a junior in high school, who is sick of high school drama. She doesn't fit in and is the recipient of constant bullying. So, when a stunning, oddly dressed, guy approaches her on the beach, she doesn't understand why he would; take the time, to talk to her.
Tyche- The son of his planet's Emperor, is lost. His planet is at war. His father was murdered and the only hope he has, is to find a girl, he has seen in a vision of his future. She is somehow, the key to solving his problems.
The two begin an adventure, with their friends, to find five elements to save Tyche's planet. In the process they find adventure, love and themselves.
"When our gazes meet, I feel my knees struggle, to keep me standing upright. If this is an illusion, I never want to be sane again. If this is a dream, I never want to wake up. If this is all real, I am in trouble. I don't think I can pull my heart out, of this one, now that I am in so deep. I can't fight gravity."

Brother, Betrayed "One brother will betray the others with such treachery that it will change the destiny of Miscia forever."
The three princes hear this prophecy, and they will discover how far it will drive them to explore love, loyalty, and their own souls.
The princes are bound by loyalty to each other and their kingdom. When conflict comes to their land, their ascension into power is darkened by betrayal.
Oman, eldest and Anteria's promised king, leads his brothers on their journey through Arnith.
Fasime, driven by passion, seeks a life of romance and adventure.
Syah, born the ailing youngest brother of these two outgoing princes, endeavours to overcome his bleak destiny through pursuit of knowledge and magic... a quest that may reveal unknown power within his own soul.
A tale woven with deception, war, sacrifice, and magic, BROTHER, BETRAYED takes readers to a troubled kingdom surrounded by barbarians, magical races, and forbidden boundaries.

Devil's Kitchen In The Night Watchman Express, Miriam and Simon were kidnapped and thrown on the strange train... Now in Book Two of The Crown Phoenix series, they arrive at the terrifying destination known as Devil's Kitchen.
There they will face human experiments in a laboratory known as The Infirmary.
There Miriam will be forced to work in an underground factory.
There Simon is held in a luxurious prison by jailers who are as beautiful as they are deadly...
And their courage will be tested to the breaking point.

Sakuri Life as a package courier might not be the most glamorous of lifestyles; but for Sakuri it certainly comes at no shortage of thrills and dealings with the city's underbelly. So when an ex-mob boss requests a delivery through Sakuri's work it appears just to be an average job; right down to the attempt on her life to assure that package isn't delivered.
A stray bullet cracks up the case during the battle, revealing an innocuous gemmed gauntlet within. In order to protect the delivery Sakuri slips it on, only to discover that once attached the device is not so willing to be removed. As she would come to know it by; the Metamorpher becomes the source of Sakuri's future troubles.
Thrusting her into a world that constantly challenges the reality she once knew; Sakuri now contends with both earthly foes and a malefic force heralding from beyond the stars seeking the device for itself. Intentions that have no kind regard for the Metamorpher's host; or those around her.

Terps Deafness is perceived as a culture and not as a disability in the world of "Terps" and interpreters comprise the subculture that can only exist where Deaf and hearing overlap.
That's the backdrop, but the story is about a marriage. An interpreter marries the only hearing member of a famous Deaf family. The interpreter has chosen to build her life around the Deaf world, but her husband was born into it and would rather do just about anything else.

The Last Guardian CJ Carson believes herself to be slightly crazy. For as long as she can remember, she has been plagued with strange dreams, migraines and an imaginary friend that never seems to go away: a voice of love and reason she has heard in her head since childhood.
Born in a time of turmoil and bloodshed, Mika Elkhart is half-coyote, half Lakota warrior. Orphaned at birth, he was taken to Haven, a place of refuge and respite for shape-shifters. There he was raised by the Guardians of Haven, becoming a member of Delta Pack, the Theriontrope Foundation's elite defense force. His was a world of death and darkness aside from his one ray of hope, CJ Carson.
The time has come for Mika to reveal his true identity and convince CJ to willingly take her father's place as the Guardian of Haven. But for CJ, the road to Haven is laid with danger brought about by the Loki, the Lord of Chaos. Without a Guardian, Haven will destroy itself and without his Little Star, so may Mika.

William the Damned A ghost ship... below the deck there is a sight beyond believe, fifty men and woman dead upon their backs.
Their eyes are closed and their hands twined together upon their chest. Here in the lowest deck, where not an inch of light manages to intrude, they lie dead.
William is a vampire pirate, with an unquenchable thirst for human blood. He has an aversion for holy water, crucifixes and garlic. Exposure to sunlight will turn him to dust. He has loved before, but never like this and for Susanna, he would make the ultimate sacrifice.

Furthermore, you can enter to get an entire shelf of romance books for your ereader! Just click HERE to enter.
Published on February 12, 2012 11:36
February 11, 2012
Free Kindle Books -6 More Free Books For 2-11-12
All of these books are free for download today on Kindle. Just click on the links to go to the download page.
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Tower of Bones - Epic Fantasy from the author of The Last Good Knight.
Edwin Farmer toils away on his father's sleepy farm, unaware of his family's bargain with the Goddess Aeos, or the manner in which he will be called upon to honor that bargain.
From the first moment that he is in the strange land of Neveyah, Edwin finds himself fighting for his life ...
In the Rose Tower of the haunted keep of Mal Evol, the Bull God holds the key to winning the war between the Gods. Imprisoned and alone in a strange country, Marya awaits the rescue promised by her only friends: the shadowy ghosts that haunt the Shadow Castle.
Obsessed with rescuing the girl that he dreams of nightly, Edwin struggles to develop the unique abilities that will allow him to steal Marya back from the Rose Tower and save her from the madman who holds her prisoner.
After Ilium Four years of college has not taught Alex as much as he will learn in a couple of weeks on the Turkish coast!
Three thousand years ago Greeks fought Trojans below the fortress of Ilium. Now it is 1993 and new college graduate Alex Parris cruises to Istanbul, seeking his own adventure at Ilium. On the way, however, he meets Elena, a mysterious older woman who draws him into an affair---then forces him to fight for her!
But Alex finds that escaping from the local jail is only the first of many obstacles to returning to his lover, as he embarks on his own odyssey across the wild Turkish coast! It is a journey that will test his will to survive and make him question everything he has been taught about life, love, and the way the world really works!
Black Numbers In a land where magic is based on advanced mathematics, Sid is something special, for his awakening sexuality and genius-level understanding of mathematics combines to create a power beyond anything ever seen in the world. Sid's journey propels him into the center of a 1000-year-struggle with an outcome obscured by a darkness known as Black Numbers.
Ednor Scardens When the boob fairy makes an early visit in sixth grade, eleven-year-old Kate Fitzgerald is unprepared for the repercussions. Her puppy-love relationship with classmate Gabe Kelsey quickly blossoms. But her carefree days in Catholic school darken with the arrival of Father John O'Conner, a predatory priest with a hidden past. Life becomes even more tangled when Kate falls hard for Gabe's darkly handsome older brother, Michael. The Kelsey boys couldn't be more different: one is shy and self-effacing; the other is tall, athletic, and confident.
As the brothers battle for Kate's affections, how will she choose without tearing their family apart? When she silently witnesses a frightening scene between Gabe and Fr. O'Conner, Kate is unaware that she is O'Conner's intended next victim.
Sax and the Suburb Why is someone killing the community band geeks of Richland, Texas? Miranda Beeling would like to know, since she is one of them.
Miranda is trying to recover from the recent death of her mother and the betrayal of her fiancé (a bigamist wannabe). She's retreated back to her childhood home, trying to sort through her clutterholic father's horde of junk, despite his determined opposition. Miranda's only enjoyable social activity is playing saxophone in the local community band. Her enjoyment ends when trombonist David Hu is killed, and her bassoonist friend Louise is the prime suspect in his murder.
Motivated by concern for her friends and an inescapable feeling that she might be the next victim, Miranda investigates. Armed with only her legal research skills, a keen sense of humor, and a gift for getting into trouble, Miranda may eventually figure it all out, but not before uncovering several secrets she would rather not have known.
Sons of Roland Sons of Roland is a group memoir about the birth, life, death and resurrection of The Visitors, a 1960's rock & roll band hailing from Brooklyn. It follows bass player turned music mogul Edward Houlihan as he recounts The Visitors' meteoric rise to greatness, their wild escapades and their tragic demise. It's a story that must be told, and there is no one better to tell it than the Sons of Roland themselves...
Forty years of sex, drugs and rock & roll explode to reveal the secrets and mysteries surrounding the most bizarre chapter in the history of rock & roll music, proving that Elvis is Dead, Paul is Alive and so are the Sons of Roland.
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Tower of Bones - Epic Fantasy from the author of The Last Good Knight.
Edwin Farmer toils away on his father's sleepy farm, unaware of his family's bargain with the Goddess Aeos, or the manner in which he will be called upon to honor that bargain.
From the first moment that he is in the strange land of Neveyah, Edwin finds himself fighting for his life ...
In the Rose Tower of the haunted keep of Mal Evol, the Bull God holds the key to winning the war between the Gods. Imprisoned and alone in a strange country, Marya awaits the rescue promised by her only friends: the shadowy ghosts that haunt the Shadow Castle.
Obsessed with rescuing the girl that he dreams of nightly, Edwin struggles to develop the unique abilities that will allow him to steal Marya back from the Rose Tower and save her from the madman who holds her prisoner.

After Ilium Four years of college has not taught Alex as much as he will learn in a couple of weeks on the Turkish coast!
Three thousand years ago Greeks fought Trojans below the fortress of Ilium. Now it is 1993 and new college graduate Alex Parris cruises to Istanbul, seeking his own adventure at Ilium. On the way, however, he meets Elena, a mysterious older woman who draws him into an affair---then forces him to fight for her!
But Alex finds that escaping from the local jail is only the first of many obstacles to returning to his lover, as he embarks on his own odyssey across the wild Turkish coast! It is a journey that will test his will to survive and make him question everything he has been taught about life, love, and the way the world really works!

Black Numbers In a land where magic is based on advanced mathematics, Sid is something special, for his awakening sexuality and genius-level understanding of mathematics combines to create a power beyond anything ever seen in the world. Sid's journey propels him into the center of a 1000-year-struggle with an outcome obscured by a darkness known as Black Numbers.

Ednor Scardens When the boob fairy makes an early visit in sixth grade, eleven-year-old Kate Fitzgerald is unprepared for the repercussions. Her puppy-love relationship with classmate Gabe Kelsey quickly blossoms. But her carefree days in Catholic school darken with the arrival of Father John O'Conner, a predatory priest with a hidden past. Life becomes even more tangled when Kate falls hard for Gabe's darkly handsome older brother, Michael. The Kelsey boys couldn't be more different: one is shy and self-effacing; the other is tall, athletic, and confident.
As the brothers battle for Kate's affections, how will she choose without tearing their family apart? When she silently witnesses a frightening scene between Gabe and Fr. O'Conner, Kate is unaware that she is O'Conner's intended next victim.

Sax and the Suburb Why is someone killing the community band geeks of Richland, Texas? Miranda Beeling would like to know, since she is one of them.
Miranda is trying to recover from the recent death of her mother and the betrayal of her fiancé (a bigamist wannabe). She's retreated back to her childhood home, trying to sort through her clutterholic father's horde of junk, despite his determined opposition. Miranda's only enjoyable social activity is playing saxophone in the local community band. Her enjoyment ends when trombonist David Hu is killed, and her bassoonist friend Louise is the prime suspect in his murder.
Motivated by concern for her friends and an inescapable feeling that she might be the next victim, Miranda investigates. Armed with only her legal research skills, a keen sense of humor, and a gift for getting into trouble, Miranda may eventually figure it all out, but not before uncovering several secrets she would rather not have known.

Sons of Roland Sons of Roland is a group memoir about the birth, life, death and resurrection of The Visitors, a 1960's rock & roll band hailing from Brooklyn. It follows bass player turned music mogul Edward Houlihan as he recounts The Visitors' meteoric rise to greatness, their wild escapades and their tragic demise. It's a story that must be told, and there is no one better to tell it than the Sons of Roland themselves...
Forty years of sex, drugs and rock & roll explode to reveal the secrets and mysteries surrounding the most bizarre chapter in the history of rock & roll music, proving that Elvis is Dead, Paul is Alive and so are the Sons of Roland.
Published on February 11, 2012 07:42
February 10, 2012
Valentines from the Past
Ah, me, romance used to be a very flowery, lacy thing. Look at this lovely Victorian valentine:
Aw. Doves. Awwww.And you have the 50's ones, rife with bad puns:
[image error] Bet you never saw this one coming:
Ouch, it hurts
I think I might have sent this one to an ever-suffering friend, back in the day:
Actually, this one is sort of fabulous.
I can just picture the writers, all in their poly suits, sitting back with a coffee or a high ball, offering puns and groaning in unison. "Hey, fellas, Deer? Match? Plane? Sweet? Viking?"
Then there are the themed Valentine cards:
[image error] I kinda like this one, too, the more I look at it.
Really, Gandalf? Really?And then there's this guy. It's not to hard to see why he is eating ALONE:
D Bag.

[image error] Bet you never saw this one coming:

I think I might have sent this one to an ever-suffering friend, back in the day:


I can just picture the writers, all in their poly suits, sitting back with a coffee or a high ball, offering puns and groaning in unison. "Hey, fellas, Deer? Match? Plane? Sweet? Viking?"
Then there are the themed Valentine cards:
[image error] I kinda like this one, too, the more I look at it.


Published on February 10, 2012 07:58
February 9, 2012
Lend My Book!
I have amazing readers. You guys keep me going when the plot just isn't working out, when my characters are bratty, when I can't find a direction or an ending.
Therefore, for those of you who bought my book as a Kindle, I just wanted to let you know you can lend that Kindle book! It's very easy to do, but there are a few restrictions: you can only lend it to the same person once, and you can only lend it for fourteen days. So, it's like you're giving a friend a virtual requested library book for two weeks.
Here's how to lend The Night Watchman Express, Devil's Kitchen, and Christmas O'Clock:
1. Go to one of the Amazon pages for the books. (Those are live links up there; how convenient!)
2. At the top, above the title, you'll see the text, "You purchased this book on February 14, 2011. Loan this book to anyone you choose."
3. Loan this book is a live link. Click on it and it will take you to the Loan This Book screen.
4. Fill in the recipient's email address. (Just check and make certain that their Kindle device is registered to that email.)
5. Fill out the rest of the form with their name and a personal message if you like. Then click Send now.
That's it!

Therefore, for those of you who bought my book as a Kindle, I just wanted to let you know you can lend that Kindle book! It's very easy to do, but there are a few restrictions: you can only lend it to the same person once, and you can only lend it for fourteen days. So, it's like you're giving a friend a virtual requested library book for two weeks.

Here's how to lend The Night Watchman Express, Devil's Kitchen, and Christmas O'Clock:
1. Go to one of the Amazon pages for the books. (Those are live links up there; how convenient!)
2. At the top, above the title, you'll see the text, "You purchased this book on February 14, 2011. Loan this book to anyone you choose."
3. Loan this book is a live link. Click on it and it will take you to the Loan This Book screen.
4. Fill in the recipient's email address. (Just check and make certain that their Kindle device is registered to that email.)
5. Fill out the rest of the form with their name and a personal message if you like. Then click Send now.
That's it!
Published on February 09, 2012 05:41
February 8, 2012
Today's Progress
Just a quick note as I scramble to catch up after a nasty bout of shingles (and yes, they are just as painful as people say.)
I finished another chapter in The Gramophone Society. My characters are developing nicely with little nudges from the author. I just won't let them form a Boy Boy Girl Triangle, since it has been done before, and I really do enjoy exploring female friendships.
However, Victor, the mysterious fellow with a strange drawing on his face, did lash out at Arthur, the guy who always follows the rules. In the melee, Arthur nearly fell into the Mouth, the bottomless cavern lined with sharp rocks that look like teeth.
The frustrating part of my day came when I searched for images of bathyspheres for the final book of my Crown Phoenix series, The South Sea Bubble. A bathysphere is a round ball that was used in the early 20th century to explore under the ocean. I've always thought they are beautiful and mysterious, and I want one! Or, at least, a picture of one for the cover of my book.
I finished another chapter in The Gramophone Society. My characters are developing nicely with little nudges from the author. I just won't let them form a Boy Boy Girl Triangle, since it has been done before, and I really do enjoy exploring female friendships.
However, Victor, the mysterious fellow with a strange drawing on his face, did lash out at Arthur, the guy who always follows the rules. In the melee, Arthur nearly fell into the Mouth, the bottomless cavern lined with sharp rocks that look like teeth.

The frustrating part of my day came when I searched for images of bathyspheres for the final book of my Crown Phoenix series, The South Sea Bubble. A bathysphere is a round ball that was used in the early 20th century to explore under the ocean. I've always thought they are beautiful and mysterious, and I want one! Or, at least, a picture of one for the cover of my book.

Published on February 08, 2012 12:14
February 6, 2012
A Simpler Guide to Gmail
Today's blog comes to us from Wales, courtesy of Ceri Clark. She is the author of several great books, including Children of the Elementi and the updated A Simpler Guide to Gmail.
First of all I would like to thank you allowing me to guest blog today.
The first edition of A Simpler Guide to Gmail was the second book I wrote. At the time there wasn't anything like it on Kindle, although now there are a couple more. Gmail made a whole slew of changes in late 2011 so I felt honour bound to write an updated version, hence the second edition.
You wouldn't believe the problems I had when the second edition was uploaded. I had to do a new one as the old copy had the wrong author name on (my maiden name) even though I had contacted Amazon a few times and it was top of all the search lists. Then I was selling the old version rather than the new one. But it is all settled now.
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Pretty much everything changed since January 2011. I was expecting just to update parts but the whole look and feel changed so I had to update all the screen captures in the book.We said goodbye to Buzz, but hello to Google+ and there were some great new themes added as well as functions moving.
I have to say I absolutely love Gmail. I don't see any spam anymore, there is lots of space and it is integrated with other Google services and best of all my phone!
The feature I recommend above all is tagging. I love having my emails organised but in the old days I had to choose which folder an email had to go in. I like to think of myself as logical but when you have one email which can go into two or more folders, it can be awkward to find it later. With Gmail, it is so simple. If there is more than one subject I just tag the one email with all of the subjects that are relevant. There is still only the one email but I can find it in several places. If only I could tag my house keys the same way!
A Simpler Guide to Gmail is aimed at beginner to intermediate users but my husband, who is a techie, read it while it was being edited and even he learnt a couple of things. It's a step-by-step guide but I try to make it as chatty as I can. I just hate jargon!
At the moment A Simpler Guide to Gmail is only available on Amazon as it is part of the Kindle Select Program. That way, people can lend it to their friends if they want to share it.
So far it is going down well and hopefully Gmail won't change as much this year!A Simpler Guide to Gmail can be found at: http://amzn.com/B006WRZGRM

First of all I would like to thank you allowing me to guest blog today.
The first edition of A Simpler Guide to Gmail was the second book I wrote. At the time there wasn't anything like it on Kindle, although now there are a couple more. Gmail made a whole slew of changes in late 2011 so I felt honour bound to write an updated version, hence the second edition.
You wouldn't believe the problems I had when the second edition was uploaded. I had to do a new one as the old copy had the wrong author name on (my maiden name) even though I had contacted Amazon a few times and it was top of all the search lists. Then I was selling the old version rather than the new one. But it is all settled now.

Pretty much everything changed since January 2011. I was expecting just to update parts but the whole look and feel changed so I had to update all the screen captures in the book.We said goodbye to Buzz, but hello to Google+ and there were some great new themes added as well as functions moving.
I have to say I absolutely love Gmail. I don't see any spam anymore, there is lots of space and it is integrated with other Google services and best of all my phone!
The feature I recommend above all is tagging. I love having my emails organised but in the old days I had to choose which folder an email had to go in. I like to think of myself as logical but when you have one email which can go into two or more folders, it can be awkward to find it later. With Gmail, it is so simple. If there is more than one subject I just tag the one email with all of the subjects that are relevant. There is still only the one email but I can find it in several places. If only I could tag my house keys the same way!
A Simpler Guide to Gmail is aimed at beginner to intermediate users but my husband, who is a techie, read it while it was being edited and even he learnt a couple of things. It's a step-by-step guide but I try to make it as chatty as I can. I just hate jargon!
At the moment A Simpler Guide to Gmail is only available on Amazon as it is part of the Kindle Select Program. That way, people can lend it to their friends if they want to share it.
So far it is going down well and hopefully Gmail won't change as much this year!A Simpler Guide to Gmail can be found at: http://amzn.com/B006WRZGRM
Published on February 06, 2012 05:28
February 4, 2012
Cool Stuff About Being a Writer
I get to imagine stuff and have it come to "life" on my desktop.
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Other writers send me their books and ask me to read them. That means I get amazing books for free, and better than that, I am allowed to watch the evolution of those cool books.
I have a fantastic cover artist who rocks my Kindle world.
I'm in a group of talented, dedicated people who help me out every single day.
Nightmares are cool now, because when I wake up in a sweat, I just think, "Hey! New novel idea!"
If my husband comments on my disheveled, pajamas-in-the-afternoon attire, I can silence him with my Novelist At Work stare.
My little Alternet universe is fueled with tea, wine, and chocolate.
I am never, ever bored. Seriously, I don't know what boredom is like. I've got movies in my head to watch, and I mean that in a very non-psycho killer way.
As I tap stuff out in the keyboard, I become one with a long line of writers. Maybe not Hemingway or Colette, but Edgar Rice Burroughs and Enid Blyton? Those are my peeps.
This just screams pulp fiction. Love it!!!!!!
See, I have to go and watch The Housewives of Beverly Hills. It's rich bitch research, dammit.
Ditto reading pulp fiction. All part of my job. Now, hand me my bon bons.
[image error]
Other writers send me their books and ask me to read them. That means I get amazing books for free, and better than that, I am allowed to watch the evolution of those cool books.

I have a fantastic cover artist who rocks my Kindle world.
I'm in a group of talented, dedicated people who help me out every single day.
Nightmares are cool now, because when I wake up in a sweat, I just think, "Hey! New novel idea!"

If my husband comments on my disheveled, pajamas-in-the-afternoon attire, I can silence him with my Novelist At Work stare.
My little Alternet universe is fueled with tea, wine, and chocolate.
I am never, ever bored. Seriously, I don't know what boredom is like. I've got movies in my head to watch, and I mean that in a very non-psycho killer way.
As I tap stuff out in the keyboard, I become one with a long line of writers. Maybe not Hemingway or Colette, but Edgar Rice Burroughs and Enid Blyton? Those are my peeps.

See, I have to go and watch The Housewives of Beverly Hills. It's rich bitch research, dammit.
Ditto reading pulp fiction. All part of my job. Now, hand me my bon bons.
Published on February 04, 2012 10:06