Month: February 2024

Oh, Look, A second post in two days

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I set out to blog more this year. Life happens and I get sidetracked. Or I get locked out. Mostly, I just don’t have much to blog about. I end up whinging into the ether so I figure it’s better to just stay quiet.

But, meh, I’m sitting here avoiding taxes so why not come on here and fret about shit to get it out of my mind so I can function.

I bought a lot of stuff from Amazon last month. I might do a review post in the next few days. Be ready for that. Unfortunately, I hate shopping on Amazon, but local stores just do not carry the things I need to buy and I get so tired of trying to find individual websites for said items when it’s all right there in one place. Plus all kinds of other shit I didn’t know I needed. I give up. I just go to Amazon and hit add to cart. I found compression socks that actually fit my big feet without rolling down or sliding off. And they are cut for right and left fit, with no seam on the toes. I hate the seam on the toes. I hate socks because of the seam on the toes. These are nice. I looked through every store in WeMo for black work pants for my husband. I finally just gave up and got them from the Zon. Books that aren’t available in the one bookstore in Mobile. Nor in the one across the bay. Yes we went over looking for a book on Wednesday. Kitchen stuff. A new rolling stool with inline rollerblade wheels. Because… reasons.

Yeah, now, if only I could buy certain food items there and get them in a timely manner. I get so tired of hunting for the products I use that just aren’t available here…. sighs.

Speaking of Amazon… I did not appreciate my last week of Prime Video having ads. I was not expecting Mrs Maisel to stop in the exact middle of a scene to show an ad. That show isn’t made to have commercial breaks. You just flat out punched into the middle of a tense argument to show me an ad for some other show on Prime Video and didn’t cut back in at the place where you cut out… not cool… very not cool. No I’m not paying 3 bucks more to watch the only two shows I like on there over and over. Especially not when most of the things I order through Prime take as long as the non-Prime free shipping items take… or longer. What the hell am I paying Prime for if I still get ads, and the two day shipping is more like two week shipping anyway?

Also speaking of Amazon… I just checked the January Kindle Invoice. Seems the Kindle Unlimited per page read rate dropped to $0.0040. It was $0.0043 for December. That’s a loss of about $18 bucks for the tiny amount of page reads I got if January had paid the same as December. So… what the hell do I do? Right now I’m all in. There aren’t enough actual sales to offset the loss. Most of my books never get even one page read much less a straight purchase. December was halfway decent so I thought I’d go all in because there are no sales on the other sites and Kobo Plus doesn’t seem to be working in the US market. I’ve yet to have any reads there or the UK. So????

Now, 13 titles will fall out of KU on October 27, so there is that. Just 10 days left to ride out. The rest are stuck in until April. Because I was stupid. BIG SIGHS! S.I.G.H.S!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I suppose I could ask to have them all removed early. But no sales are still no sales.

I don’t know… does it even matter? I’m not spending money to promote ten year old books. When the stand alones fall out on the 27th do I bother putting them back on Kobo and Apple? How do I get people to buy directly through my store link?

And another thing I’m considering… removing the last 4 Scrimmage books entirely. pretending they never existed.

Anyway… rambling thoughts on a bitterly cold Saturday in February.

 

Peace,

Mercy

 

Mardi Gras Break

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It is 3 days after Mardi Gras. Mobile, Alabama has a big Mardi Gras culture. It’s not the biggest Mardi Gras, but it was the first. I do not Mardi Gras. I come from a little town in Florida that did not Mardi Gras. If you’re not in one of the Mardi Gras organizations with their balls and stuff the only thing really to do is go downtown and stand in the cold and rain to catch cheap ass shit. I do not do crowds. At all.

But, that said, back in the day when my older kids were in early school years we got the first three days of this week out every year. Mobile is a very Catholic city so all three because they knew no one would show up on any of those days. Now we get the whole week out. Again, because most people won’t show up. It’s an early spring break and we still get a spring break. It’s nice. We live on the west side of Mobile, far away from the crowds. For a day or two you can actually go out and not deal with traffic and maybe watch a movie in peace. As long as you don’t try to travel downtown or go across the bay from Friday night to Tuesday night when Mardi Gras is at it’s peak, then you’re golden.

Lesson learned the hard way on that, believe me.

We went across the bay on Wednesday. It was a nice sunny, warm almost spring like day.

And here we are, Friday, and it’s cold, and rainy, and dreary. Aubrey is off with friends. I sent the husband and Alaina to Walmart. I have to start working on taxes. Stuff… so much stuff. I was not included in that WSJ football article. It was about Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Why even contact me? I don’t know. I wasn’t mentioned with other authors who also write football. Honestly, it shouldn’t bug me, but it does. It’s like I was judged not worthy… and that’s all I’m going to say on the subject now.

Monday we go back to the grind. The husband back to work. Aubrey back to school. Next day out is Spring Break at the end of April. Seniors usually have their final day shortly after. Graduation is May 13th. My last baby will be grown. It’s hitting hard. No more school, college next year, they’re choosing to live at home. We’re not that far from campus. They don’t want to leave their dog. Guess it’s hard for them too. Ready to go, but not quite yet ready to fly.

Heavy… I know. I’m sorry. I have other things that happened this week that I won’t talk about. So much that I don’t talk about. It’s been… bittersweet.

Anyway, I hope this finds you well. I’m absolutely ready for spring. I’m tired of dreary. But I am no where near ready for summer. I like heat less than I like cold. Anyway….

Peace,

Mercy

February seems to be in a Hurry

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Why did January drag on for three and a half years but it seems like February has an appointment somewhere and can’t wait to get there?

It was literally just January… UGH!

Anyway… it’s Super Bowl weekend. And I don’t give a single crap about either team. Like seriously… of course, I haven’t watched a single football game in two years now, so there is that.

It feels weird to not watch football. Really weird. I just don’t care about it anymore. And I don’t know why.

But if I had to pick a team, I’ll go with the 9’ers for Joe.

Speaking of football… I was interviewed by a writer for the Wall Street Journal last week. She said she was writing an article on football romance and found my name on GoodReads. I had to agonize over the invitation. Did I really want to open up that can of worms again? Will it be a positive article? So many mainstream publications treat the romance genre with disdain and only whip out an article around this time each year. I said many, not all. But even the half way decent articles can still come across as condescending. How will she present my work, if she uses it? Gay romance is still far outside mainstream even though there are now mainstream publishers willing to publish it. And gay football… I hate to imagine how that will go over. But I did it. I answered her questions honestly. Why I chose to write gay players. If I know anything about football. If I ever get details wrong… I do. I try not to, but I do. Er… did. Stuff like that. And now we wait. Wait to see if the article is even published. Wait to see if she uses my interview. Wait to see how much damage it might cause… SIGHS………………..

Why yes, I do have trust issues. Why do you ask? See Ellora’s Cave, Silver Publishing, Cobblestone Press, and Pride Publishing for details. Also answers the question as to why I haven’t pursued mainstream publishing and will likely only ever be self-published.

Which brings us back to the question of when will ___________ be released?

I haven’t written a word since November 2022. I don’t know when I’m going to write again. I don’t know if I want to write again. I don’t have anything to say. I don’t have a story to tell. and… unfortunately, don’t want to revisit old characters. Maybe one day. When they’re no longer a sore subject for me. When the hate and anger over those characters fades from my abused psyche… maybe then. I do not have skin thick enough to go through that again.

So… it is what it is.

I was told I suck too many times. I was told I was evil too many times. And I was told that someone should take my characters from me WAY too many times. I was told once that I should be shot…

My advice for new authors… buckle up. But who knows, maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones to come out unscathed with all of your royalties paid.

God, is it too much to ask to be one of the lucky ones? Just once I’d like to know how it feels to not be shit on for a change.

So… yeah, that’s about it for checking in in February. When I get further away from my birthday, maybe the less defeated I’ll feel. Until then… enjoy the game. Have fun. Hope your team wins.

And if you’re not a fan of the game, but are looking for a nice book to read… good luck finding any football romance in all that hockey.

 

Peace,

Mercy