D. Thrush's Blog, page 2

Need help

I've participated in the Reading Challenge for years. There's a glitch this year, and I've contacted GR 3x for help.

When I do a review on Amazon, the book automatically gets added to my GR Reading Challenge list. Then I do a review on GR, and it's added again, counting as 2 books. One book was added twice by GR and once by Amazon, counting as 3 books. I removed 2 and the 3rd disappeared. Now it's gone and the system won't let me add the book back. I tried editing the review and that doesn't work. What a headache!

I've requested help from GR, and they just send me a generic response telling me how to add a book.

Does anyone know how to add a book back once it's been removed from the Reading Challenge?

Now on Audible!

All my books! I was hesitant to use AI voices. However, this is the most cost effective for indie authors like me. The voices sounded better than I expected. The price is the lowest Amazon will allow and minimal if you've already bought the eBook. Sooo, let me know what you think!

No cliffhangers!

I love reading and like to support indie authors, but I detest cliff hangers! It’s okay to continue the story and leave it open for a sequel, but please give us some closure. If not, I feel cheated after reading an entire book without some resolution and you can be sure I won’t buy the next one and will voice my frustration in a review.

It was important to me as an author that all of my books can be read as standalones with no cliffhangers. How do you feel about this? Do cliffhangers make you pull out your hair or buy the next book?

Listen to your mother

My mother and I lived on separate coasts for decades. We talked on the phone at least once a week and during one phone call she told me about her idea for a cute story. It was a Christmas story about Santa's daughter named Santina. She knew I loved to write though I hadn't published anything yet.

"Mom, why don't you write it?" I asked. She enjoyed writing too. "It's your story." But she wouldn't let up and got the idea into my head where the story started to take root.

Knowing I couldn't dissuade her, I gave it a go and the story expanded. Tina had a brother who hated Christmas and wanted to be a rock star. Santa was a grumpy workaholic. Mrs. Claus (named Clara after my mother) fretted about everyone. Tina's best friend falls in love with an elf. My mother had a great sense of humor, so I had to make it funny and silly but heartwarming.

By the time The Daughter Claus was published, my mother had fallen into dementia and couldn't really appreciate how much readers enjoyed the story that had grown from her idea. They wanted more books, and it became the 4-book Santina Series. My mother passed away a few years ago and I wish I could've shared all this with her.

I published The Santa Secret this year which is a prequel about how Mrs. Claus (Clara) meets Santa. It's a free standalone book that is my gift to readers, just as my mother gifted her idea to me. I'm so glad I listened to my mother!

The Santa Secret

The Santa Secret is FREE on all platforms! It's a standalone prequel to the 4-book Santina Series which will be .99 each next week.

I went on quite a journey with this book, intending it to be a short novella. There's so much fun and romance packed into this story that it had to be longer. It felt so good, I submitted it to two publishers. But wouldn't you know, they just didn't see it despite the series selling like hotcakes every year.

I always wanted to make it free for Book Bird newsletter subscribers as a thank you for their support, so they got it months ago. And now I want to share it with everyone. No purchase required! Just enjoy it!

When reviews go wrong

Authors love it when readers review their books, especially if they’re positive and glowing. That makes an author’s day. Indie authors struggle to get reviews and value each and every one. But sometimes these reviews are just… wrong. What do I mean? One review for one of my books mentioned the rug wasn’t quite right. What? A recent review for another book went on about characters with completely different names and a totally different premise. Huh? Obviously, these reviews were posted on the wrong product page. But the second one might confuse readers about what this new release book is about. Ugh! These reviews may eventually be buried in the plethora of reviews I hope to get for these books. But still… ugh!

Hurricane Milton

My father's name was Milton. He passed away 3 years ago. My aunt (his sister) and uncle lost everything during Hurricane Sandy. The worst thing was family photos. As hurricanes that sweep up the east coast become more severe, I'm hoping rebuilding will utilize new technology that might better resist extreme weather.

Did anyone see the segment on 60 Minutes about 3D printed houses? These houses are "printed" from cement making them resistant to wind. Maybe even flooding and earthquakes. I'm sure we have the technology to build stronger housing. Rebuilding the same houses with the same vulnerabilities doesn't work. It's getting more difficult and expensive to insure them, and they'll be destroyed again as weather gets worse.

I can't imagine trying to recover after losing everything. My heart goes out to those affected.

11 years 11 books

My first book was published in Aug. 2013 and my 11th book is about to be published! Whew! The Santa Secret is the prequel to the 4-book Santina Series and in advance of publication is FREE to newsletter subscribers for a limited time as a Thank You!

A link for the FREE book will be included in the newsletter in about 10 days when the book will be published on Amazon for $2.99. Join the Book Bird subscriber list to receive it for free. (You can unsubscribe at any time.) I hope you enjoy it!
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...

Free book

I haven't done a sale or freebie for some time. Whims & Vices is FREE thru Sun. (June 16) and the sequel, Fate & Flirtations is half price ($1.99) thru Tues. (June 18). Both are standalones and part of a he said/she said story.

Max and Sam and Molly. It's complicated!

Ahhhhhh! (Me screaming.)

Due to my lack of tech skills, I've lost a good portion of my Book Bird Newsletter subscribers. (Don't ask.)

If you signed up prior to this month, and you still wish to receive the monthly newsletter, please sign up again at this link:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...

Of course, new subscribers are always welcome! Your regularly scheduled newsletter will resume shortly!