The Countess Refuses
Please nominate. This book is up for a publishing contract with Kindle Scout
Link: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2KA6QV9KGPJVK
So much has happened since my last post. I have overcome the travesty of experiencing everything collapsing around me. As you know, I lost all my contacts, my email system and all my social media links due to my email provider collapsing. Even now it is still fragmented. However, thankfully through the advice of a friend, Gmail.com saved me. The crash happened the day I launched my book for a publishing contract with Kindle Scout; I had no way of promoting the book; it would disappear into the vaults of the Internet, never to be seen again. My sole support, my clever husband who works miracles on the PC, also disappeared from the scene of disaster, as he visited the family in Ireland. He wanted to stay, but family comes first, above all else. At the same time, my brilliant IT son was ill with flu. This left me with my frazzled brain, working day and night to try to sort out the myriad jobs on the PC’; save the email system and the book. I can usually meet disaster with some grit, but give me the pulsing lights of a biosphere on the monitor, and the gory innards of the PC, and I collapse.
One thing I do have is an optimistic attitude that usually carries me through pain and disaster. But that tiny flame of hope was buried deep this time, so deep it’s flickering light lay buried beneath an overhanging rock in the abyss. Even so, I knew where it was. I may be right down, heartbroken, feeling demolished, yet I know somehow, someway I will myself to survive.
People may murmur, come on it’s only a book. However, any writer will tell you, that book is their heart. It’s not money or fame; it’s flesh and blood pulsing between the lines and spaces of the novel; the words from the blood pulsing through arteries. A true writer does not begin writing to seek glory; their sole aim, is first to write, and then to share their hopes and dreams with another soul. There are usually reasons why people put pen to paper. Mine were perhaps due to a dark childhood of pain and grief from which grew a grim determination to survive, and to share beauty and peace, for there was none in my childhood’s dark tunnel of fear. But, enough of Poe’s ruminations, the raven has flown and the night is silent
I spent one evening looking at a blank screen. There was no other way, to save the book, I forced myself to climb down into the abyss. I had to find that tiny candle of hope; I had to pray it was still flickering. It was an arduous task and not without a few groans and tears. Hubby was not there to console me, or even make a cup of tea, or talk into the small hours of the whys and wherefores of crashing systems. I determined to uncover that tiny candle. However, it was a journey not without moans and groans, tears and some unrepeatable expletives.
Over a few days working almost day and night, existing on baked potatoes, crisps and the odd glass of wine, I managed to download a fantastic email system – gmail. But then I had to grapple with linking to social media. I came across horrid words edged with nails, whipping through my flesh, for instance, ‘ link in with your IOS’, or ‘link to your Android’. What were they? Was an android, a robot? In desperation, I raced over to Tesco’s and bought a smart phone. Why I don’t know; it was a wild guess it would help, as my Motorola was over fifteen years old, and I only had it to go abroad, and even then didn’t use it.
Once in Tesco’s, I met a knight in shining armour, a shop assistant who was also an IT whizz with phones and social media. He gently explained what all those awful words meant. I could have kissed him, but he was far too young. Back home, I began making up the links; the word Android no longer terrified me, and the IOS slunk into the background. I had all I needed now to start promoting the book for Kindle Scout. But as usual, I found everything kept on upgrading and then again, a couple of days later upgrading; something I find so frustrating, as I’d only just got to know the upgrades!! I was relieved and quite happy to stay with what I had just learnt, but like I said, everything kept on upgrading and new terms appeared that had my head swimming. I began seeing crystal lights – migraine without the pain! Nevertheless, I came, I conquered and began pulling it all together. One morning, I looked down into the abyss and rescued that flickering flame.
After furious guesses, I managed to do some of the links, and started the promotions, my friends from social media sites contacted me and showered me with love, sympathy, and support. Everything was teetering on fine. Some days later, I danced for joy, as I saw the book and cover picture the Kindle Scout banner, alongside three precious words emblazoned in fire, ‘Hot and Trending’ and there it stays, trending some hours on, some hours off. It’s a delight to keep checking. That’s not to say it will be successful, but it is a joy to see it up there.
Whether or not it is accepted, I am enjoying these last few days of promoting the book, and even had time to take Lily for some glorious walks under a winter sun beaming down on frost laden fields.
