Hi ya’ll! I hope everyone is doing okay. This heat here in the mountains of North Carolina is brutal!! I started work in the flower garden this morning at 7 a.m. because it was a little cooler but after two hours and 90 percent humidity, I had to stop. Sadly, it’s too hot for Sally, my yellow Lab, to ride in the car which is her favorite form of entertainment, especially if we get a “pup cup." All I have to do is say “car?” and those old arthritic legs jump for joy. I’m not sure she understands “too hot for doggies!” but staying indoors is for her own good.
So, welcome to all my new readers! I’m thrilled to have you here. And for those of you who have been following me for a long time – thanks for the loyalty. It really means a lot to me.
It’s been crazy since my book came out in February. I’m learning to maneuver between writing the sequel, and marketing and promoting the first book. In fact, I forced my introverted self to be on a podcast recently. Guess what? It was great fun! When it goes “live” I’ll let you know so you can give it a listen.
Also, I wrote a piece for Women Writers, Women’s Books. It’s about the inspiration for The Solitary Sparrow. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to share it.
I’ve got some fun plans for future newsletters, plans that are maybe a teensy weensy bit educational but connected to The Solitary Sparrow and future sequels. For instance, here’s the medieval topic I have planned for the August newsletter:
“UNDERPANTS. YES or NO?”
Stay tuned. . .
The Hungry Hungry Algorithm
I’m happy to report that The Solitary Sparrow is hanging in there on Amazon. It’s available in paperback and as an ebook. And FINALLY – HURRAY!! – THE AUDIOBOOK IS AVAILABLE! Tracy Russell, the narrator, is a British actor whose voice brings the story of Meg to life in ways that are beyond my wildest expectations. When she sent me her sample reading of the first chapter of the book, the hair went up on the back of my neck. I took that as a good sign!
If you read or listen to The Solitary Sparrow, I would be so soooo grateful if you leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherver you review books. I know many of you equate writing a review with doing your own root canal. You have visions of crochety old teachers assigning a 400-page book of Lit-er-rah-choor (SNOOTY BRITISH ACCENT) followed by a review. But, listen, you’re a grown-up now and you can skip all the rules and write just one sentence: “I loved it.” Or “I hated it.” Or “Not my cup of tea.” The point is this: in the Amazon world, writers live or die by their reviews. Nobody is going to judge you. Nobody is going to give you a grade. Nobody is going to correct your dangling participles.
Essentially, the more reviews I have, the more the hungry hungry algorithm gobbles them up and puts my work higher on the invisible ladder of success. It’s a rough and tumble world out there in Publishing Land.
So, speaking of that, can you guess how many books are published worldwide per year? The answer varies from 500,000 to one million books, but if you include self-publishing, the figure rises to 4 million new book titles published annually.
4 million !?
If you really want to break it down, that’s 11,000 books published daily, 457 per hour, and 8 per minute.
Wow, that’s some competition. (Sigh.)
Wacky Doodles
As you might have guessed from the cover of my book, I love illuminated manuscripts. Until the invention of the Gutenberg printing press, scribes, who were often monks, produced beautiful pages of gold illuminations with lapis lazuli blues and vivid reds surrounded by intricate complicated designs. Monks worked long hours by candlelight in a scriptorium. Hunched over their work, they were sometimes tempted to leave their own mark in the margins. Sometimes their doodles were silly. Sometimes daring. And sometimes their “art” was downright dirty (as in naked ladies and male organs hanging from a tree – should I show that to you guys or let your imagination go to work?) Often they employed a menagerie of animals to comment on current events.
Medieval people understood common tropes which symbolized the king or the pope, knights, the Church, or certain women. Unfortunately in the intervening 700 years, the meaning of these symbols has been lost to modern readers. For instance, is the drawing below a cat or a snail? A catsnail or snailcat? Who knows. The best way to read these doodles is just to enjoy them! I’ll add some more in future newsletters. One of my favorite features the human factor found in the margins.
A Little Advice for Writers from Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie is my go-to writer when I need comfort and relief from the world. Yes, I know she gets a bad rap for lots of writing faux pas, such as poor character building, stereotypes, minimal setting, etc., but you can’t fault her sheer output. Damn, if I could only write as fast she did! So, I was delighted to find the following meme which provides a clue as to where she got her ideas.
Thanks, Agatha. Does loading the dishwasher count?
In August we’ll celebrate friend-books. And find out if medieval women wore anything under their tunics and surcotes. And discover medieval cat drawings.
Thanks for reading, everyone. Have a good summer. Stay cool. And drink lots of water!
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