...and may the odds be ever in your favor.

Recently on my page I posted a "Parisian incentive" by which I gave my word of honor to bring ten people to Paris, all-expense paid, for a whole week, staying at Avenue des Champs-Elysées! Now, shortly after I posted it, I took it down. I have since been thinking about a new incentive to come up with (i.e. something less outlandish but still equally empowering.) What was/is the catch? Well, the ten people that I would bring would be the ten people that helped me the most to make 1 million dollars off my books. Yes, you read that right, in exchange for earning 1 million dollars off my books, I would splurge on ten people who helped me earn it! That is, the ten people who generated the most sales for me via referrals of my books. Yes, yes, it sounds crazy, but anyway I took that down from my page already. I do realize that the chances that ten people + me being all available to go to Paris at the same time, are very slim! And, what if everyone's tickets are booked and suddenly I get sick, right? Then I couldn't go anyway and then that would mean ten lawsuits against me! So... there's a better way to splurge on my favorite readers and supporters... I'm thinking here, let me think... what if I send five people to Paris for five days and four nights, at their chosen times of the year, with their one significant other (each person may bring 1 other person, I don't care if it's your lover or your daughter or your chihuahua, whatever), I book the plane tickets, I book the hotel, you're set to go! All you have to do is feed yourself when you get there (because paying for food too would make me lose all my money that I earned in the first place and that sort of defeats the purpose.) So that's five people+one companion for every 500 thousand USD I make (yes, that's ten people in total for every 500 thousand dollars I make off my books.) And I will always do this, every time I earn 500 thousand dollars from my books. If I earn another 500 thousand, I send another 5 people with their chihuahuas and lovers to Paris. So this is how we would do it... every time a friend or family member of yours purchases my book(s), they need to email the receipts to me along with YOUR name (you who referred them to my books) and that will be counted as one sale thanks to you (or two sales— depending on how many books were purchased!) And so the five people who generate the five highest sales will get sent to Paris. Although, I have changed my mind about Avenue des Champs-Elysées. Better to send you to a place I've stayed in myself. There is a hotel in Arr. 12 where I have stayed in Paris and in fact, they have my novella Saint Paul Trois Châteaux: 1948 on their bookshelf! The hotel sits right atop an entrance to the metro which will connect you to all the rest of Paris and it also stands right in front of a perfect boulangerie where I LOVE to buy breakfast from! OMG! There are also strawberries you can buy (a whole bag for 4 Euros), and there are olive vendors, etc. etc. etc. There is also a weekend market that opens very near the hotel where you can buy stuff at! It's also just a some ten-minute walk to the Bois de Vincennes (a beautiful garden with a lake and ponies, you can see pictures of it on my writer page.) So, what better place for me to send you to? And who knows, if you can find my book on their bookshelf, you just might get a free gift! Woop! Let's move along here... so, that's how we'll do it. You get to pick your travel dates and I won't be there; I will just be booking the tickets and the hotel. You are responsible for feeding yourself and getting around Paris on the Metro. Also, if you die during the trip, I will not be held liable for your death. :-) Seriously. I won't take responsibility if you die or if the plane crashes.



Now... shall we begin? Remember to tell your friends and family to email me the online receipts along with your full (and real) name attached! Oh and by the way, how do you know that if I make 500 thousand USD I won't just close down my page and disappear and not keep my word? You don't know that. All you can do is trust me. :-) I give you my word of honor, and my word is good. My word is good. One more thing though... I cannot be responsible for visas! The visa requirements of your respective countries is your responsibility! Meaning, if you can't get a visa to take up my offer, then don't bother because I can't get involved in your visa problems! :-)



Okay, now I feel like that crazy lady in The Hunger Games as I think to myself... let the games begin...



xoxo



Bells