(and be sure to read to the end -- there's a Homicide- Hussey bonus for you)
I'll be with six other members of the Central Florida Romance Writers at Barnes & Noble in Orlando on Saturday: Dara Edmondson, Catherine Kean, Judith Gilbert, Shauna Hart, Michelle Young, and Cillian Burns. It's the day before Mother's Day, and there's normally a good turnout. But I have to wonder about the economy, and whether it will affect sales.
I know I haven't stopped reading – I can't imagine ever doing that – and although I've cut back on buying, it's more because of the idea of moving more books than I already have than because of the budget. I'm buying more e-books, simply because they don't take up space.
There are a lot of mixed feelings about used book stores. Some authors don't like them because they aren't getting royalties. It's never bothered me. I've found many new authors I might not have tried otherwise, and I'm more willing to take a chance with a discounted book. I think I found my first Susan Wiggs book at a used book store, and I've bought everything else she's written.
Keep Reading...
Another budget-cutter is your library. I'm also a strong believer in libraries. I'm a strong believer in anything that gets people reading (as I'm sure many of you know from the countless times I've mentioned my association as a volunteer with the Adult Literacy League here in Orlando).
If you read yesterday's post, you saw that I'm having a contest that runs all this month. (I'll wait while you scroll down and read it – I'll find something else to put in the prize envelope while you do.)
You're back? Great. One of the 'rules' of the contest is that you check with your local library for one of my books, WHEN DANGER CALLS. The publisher, Five Star, targets the library market, and having it in as many libraries as possible is a triple bonus.
One, the publisher sells a book. Two, the author (in this case, me), gets the royalty. Three, the reader (you) gets to enjoy a great read at no cost. Of course, I have no objection to you deciding you just HAVE to have the book for your collection (or to give to your Mother for Mother's Day), but seriously, I know the hard cover books are pricey.
I'll be interested to see how it does at Saturday's signing.
So – how has the economy affected your book-buying/reading habits?
And, because tomorrow is reserved for Detective Mark Hussey's next installment, I won't be seeing you until Monday. If you're in Orlando Saturday (May 9th), drop by the Barnes & Noble at Plaza Venezia, 7900 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32819, between 1 and 4 pm. We're giving away a $15 Barnes & Noble gift card to one lucky winner – no purchase necessary. All you have to do is come in and say hello.
And, just because this post feels a little too much like a 'commercial', I'll leave you with a bonus. Last week, the beginning Civilian Police Academy class had their session on the Homicide Division. Their speaker was none other than Detective Mark Hussey. If you've been following his Friday posts (and if you haven't, shame on you – they're great!), you know he has quite the sense of humor. He opened his talk with his own personal Top Ten Reasons he became a Homicide Detective:
10. You develop the bladder capacity of 5 normal people.
9. Chances to teach seminars entitled “Suicide--getting it right the first time”.
8. Discussing dismemberment over a gourmet meal seems perfectly normal.
7. You can identify a negative teeth-to-tattoo ratio just by looking at someone.
6. Opportunities to hang out with a 10 day old stinker on the hottest day of the year.
5. It’s nice to be the only person introduced at social gatherings by your profession.
4. Exhaustion becomes your favorite hallucinogen.
3. Caffeine is available to you in IV form.
2. Advance notice of soon-to-be-available apartments and cars.
1. Free Chalk.
Be sure to come back tomorrow. His chapter is called "Adventures in the Paranormal."
5 comments:
OooOoh! Free chalk! Awesome!
And since drawing chalk outlines isn't part of the process, he must accumulate a lot of chalk. Maybe he does sidewalk art on the side.
The economy hasn't affected my book buying habits at all; that is the only area where I won't cut back until I have nothing else left. I think it was Voltaire who said that when he got a little money, he would buy some books and then if he had any money left, he would buy some food. I understand the sentiment perfectly.
Detective Hussey has a wonderful sense of humor. He should collect his musings into a book.
Nancy -- I agree he's got a great sense of humor. I think it's a cop defense mechanism. And although he hasn't actually written a "book", he has written a rough manuscript, which is where all these stories are coming from.
I definitely hope he pursues publication someday.
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