Book Trailer Success

I finally made a book trailer which may or may not add anything to my marketing efforts or not, but it was fun. I added a link at the top of my list because I couldn't figure out how to embed it. It is beyond my limited cyberkineticauthorismscapabilities. Hope you enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvQauw4JM1w

Lost Packages Anyone?

A couple of years ago I moved. As time passed, I assumed (wrongly of course) that I had changed all my pertinent and important accounts to my new address. Weeeelll, that assumption just cost me dearly.

I made an order from an online store for a number of items and paid for them with paypal. They were to be delivered for free in two days... ahhhh, yes two days. Two weeks went by and no package. When I tracked it, I learned that it had already been delivered. However, the online store had used the shipping address at paypal which I had updated with my new address, but not quite deleted the old address.

The package was delivered to my old address where a nice lady signed for it and kept it. The on-line store said "Oh, my goodness. What a shame! That's illegal, you know. Sorry. See you. Wouldn't want to be you."

So I tried to make a complaint with UPS. No real person to contact there, of course. They wouldn't want to hear a complaint now, would they? What should I do? File charges in the city where I used to reside? Hope the 'nice lady' is arrested? Fat chance!

So I would advise everyone changing their addresses not to be careless and be sure to change everything. I mean, take an afternoon off and devote yourself to your computer and your contacts and websites, etc., etc. Or it will cost you.

HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY!!! AND A SPECIAL TIP OF THE HAT TO PADDY PUFFINGTOWNE WITH WHOM I'D LIKE TO SHARE A NIP AND SMOKE RIGHT NOW!

Rainy Days

I started out this morning and the weather immediately put me in my of a dear friend's book about rain, rain and more rain and a little mud. I was going out to look at cars, thinking maybe about making a trade-in some time in the near future. But the further I went, the colder and wetter the road became and so I turned around and came home to my warm dry house. Now I sit at my computer wondering what subject to destroy today. In looking over my sales for February, the shortest month of the year, I was quite pleased to see the final numbers though I would never dream of posting my numbers on the "How Many Have You Sold" thread at the Kindleboards forum. That would be like saying "Hey, I have $36.27 in my checking account! Nah, nah, nah, boo boo!" I mean really? What kind of thread is that? I have gone there out of curiosity to see who and how many and such and such and etceteras and have learned that most of the posts seem to come from well-meaning, law-abiding, honest citizens with numbers much like my own... I'm talking Indie Authors here, not Stephen Kings, J.K. Rowlings, mind you, but a few of the numbers I've read there are a bit hard to swallow. It's all about marketing and most of us poor Indie types do not have the means to purchase 100's of billboards across the country hawking our latest releases at the cost of several hundred thousand dollars PER MONTH. Neither can we afford television, radio and magazine adds. I was truly hoping that the Indie Spotlight website, the brainchild of Gregory Banks and Ed Patterson would boost my sales and I advertise there. Hopefully, my add has brought me a few sales more than normal. I have no way of knowing, but at least it was affordable. Now I hear that they may not be able to keep up the sight due to a lack of funding. Ahhhh, well. At least they tried and we will all keep trying, won't we? I suppose that I will keep writing wether the world ends in 2012 or not and so, there will be more Brendan Carroll works to read even for those strange and horrible scientists of the future who come poking about in the ruins of our civilization. But hey, that's just the weather talking. Cheer up! Things will get better. We'll all have health care insurance soon and be able to drive down to the government owned clinic in a government owned GMC pickup truck and die whilst waiting in line to see a government owned doctor. Yes, life is good... while it lasts. LOL. God Bless You All and God Bless America.

Mark Twain

Be careful of reading health books. You may die of a misprint. - Mark Twain

Mark Twain is certainly one of the inspirations behind my writing. I love his wit, humor and even his dark cynicism that many people today would find completely unacceptable. Even though I am over 1/4 Native American, I find his overt hatred of 'Indians' understandable considering the time in which he lived. His disdain for religion and God was also understandable even though I consider myself a devout believer. I believe one of his best dislikes was his intolerance of all things French. He didn't like the French, but in light of recent developments in the political world, I believe he might find some support for his opinions of our French allies. I wonder what he would think of them now? I wonder what he would think of America now? Would he recognize it at all or would he think he'd died and gone to France? I wonder what acid remarks he might have rebuked his detractors with? While my sainted grandmother was born with French as her native language, I can only say that I had always thought myself part French, but then I read the history of the Cajun/Acadian peoples and learned that they probably weren't French at all and were actually cast out of France before they were cast out of Nova Scotia (formerly known as Acadia). Then they were kicked out of New York by the 'Americans' and finally set down in the swamps of Louisiana (French again!) A strange story, but well, there it is and so that leads me back to my original thought of the day. What would Mark Twain have said to my French reviewer who saw fit to give me a one star rating on Amazon? I think he would have said something scrumptious, but then I thought "Hey! The thing speaks for itself!" The review is on The Red Cross of Gold II:. The King of Terrors. At first, it may not be evident why I would be laughing over it, but then consider this... Why would he buy the second book if the first book was so disgusting? Isn't that like saying "Hey, this spaghetti is awful! Give me another plate full so I can make sure." D'oh!!! LOL.

Yummy!!! The Bittersweet Story

Today, January 19, 2010 marks the bittersweet end of the 2010/2009 Nog Season or Season of Nog. The last jug of Nog in my refrigerator will be consumed and shared by members of the household today in a poignant ceremony that will mark the beginning of the long fast between now and the next Nogfest. Fortunately for me, there will be only two participants today... myself and the Puglet. Of course, she will not be having the spiked variety even though she will have the honor of pulling the cork from the Captain Morgan's Private Stock. I alone will indulge in the honorary drinking of the CMPSw/Nog.
Again, fortune favors the foolish. When I was researching the various magickal rituals needed for my Red Cross of Gold Series, I learned many, many interesting things about the mystical religions of the world including, but not limited to, the practice of Wiccan Arts. I almost gave up my Neo-Natural Religious beliefs to join the Wiccan Movement when I learned that they celebrate the Spring Equinox by drinking Egg Nog! Since there are no commmercial brands available in stores at that time of year, several recipes were offered on the various sites I visited. I tried a few of them and found them not only easy to make, but delicious and yummy as well. Again, I was elated to be American! Only in America can we pick and choose what parts and portions of the various religions we might wish to practice without fear of stoning, beheading, whipping, drowning, shooting, shunning and/or any number of other less than welcome practices. I have since added an additional Nog Season to my own Neo-Natural Religious customs in the form of a Spring Equinox celebration that includes lots of homemade Nog, Captain Morgan's and crazy, fun-shaped straws. Of course, Puglet cannot drink from a straw, but she can pull the cork form the Private Stock like an expert even though I do not allow her to imbibe. She doesn't care, she simply laps up the Egg Nog from her special Nog Dish... hey! I wonder if Nogdog likes Egg Nog? Anyway, I will begin the countdown to Easter and the Spring Equinox tonight at midnight.

Big Surf/Tough Turf

Over the holidays, I thought I might take in some sights, see a few shows, watch a few movies, do something different. So I took myself off to the beach to see if I might perhaps meet some new people, gain some new insight, collect my thoughts, and OK, all right, maybe meet some new girls or ladies as the case may be or might have been.

I purchased the latest fashionable swimsuit available, Dolce & Gabbana, that's Eye-talian and I got a good deal, too, because they were 2009's line and were marked down from $395.00 to $285.00. How could I go wrong? The fellow at the store assured me that he had a pair of these trunks and he had picked up hundreds of good-looking women at the beach. His goal, however, had been to pick up two ladies at once and he'd not been able to do it... yet. So needless to say, I am proud to announce that I did indeed meet and I daresay exceed the salesman's goal. The two young ladies you see in the picture were all over me within minutes of my lying down on my sun-towel and slathering on a half of a bottle of PF 65 sunblocker (I like the pasty look as opposed to the roasted lobster pose). I highly recommend PF 650 PSI load-blocker sunscreen in the future.... if there is a future.

Red Roses

I can never decide whether I like yellow roses or red roses better for purposes of a romantic nature. But I saw this picture when I was browsing around on the web looking at possible illustrations for some of my upcoming works and I couldn't resist it in light of Valentine's Day coming up. Of course, I won't be able to use it on my February release for Omar, the Prophet since it would not be quite suitable for his story. Especially since he will be more likely viewed as a portrait of the Anti-Christ rather than a Knight in shining armor. But I'm thinking that somewhere I'll be able to use this picture on some future publication. What do you think?