The publishing world is changing and, of course, Amazon.com has been a major factor in the way people decide what they want to read, how they purchase books, and what formats they choose i.e. whether they read an actual book, an e-reader book, or an audio book.

My good friend and editor, Jim, sent me an interesting article written by Marie Force, https://marieforce.com/component/content/article/2-uncategorised/149-the-readers-sound-off, who is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Contemporary Romance Author. I found it an interesting read, but was surprised that audio books aren't more popular. I love to read, but seldom have time to sit down and read a book. On the other hand, I can listen to a book while I'm washing dishes, sweeping the floor, doing laundry, and with my portable CD player, I can listen to a book while I'm vacuuming the furniture or mowing the lawn. I often watch movies or Star Trek episodes while I'm walking on my treadmill, but occasionally, I'll listen to a book instead. I find listening to books to be very satisfying if the presentation is done well. Only once did I return an audio book after listening for only a few minutes. That was because the reader had a very clipped delivery and a pompous presentation that was totally contrary to Jane Eyre--to the story as well as to the character of Jane herself. She would not have spoken in a clipped manner, nor was she a pompous character. The "fit" was just uncomfortable for me.

As I type this, I'm getting help from Ezri, my Shepherd-mix companion. My right hand is gently rubbing her ears while I try to type with just my left hand. She wouldn't have it any other way!

Pictures...

My nieces apparently think I need a new image. According to my sister, they think that the picture on the back of my books makes me look like an old school marm and not someone capable of writing a passionate romance in a fantasy/adventure novel. It's the same picture I use for this blog.

The problem is that I am not photogenic at all. The picture I use as my blog photo is a fluke in that it is the best picture that has ever been taken of me since I was nineteen except for one photo when I was pregnant with my son.

This is the picture that was taken when I was nineteen. The thing about this picture is that my hair was done professionally, my makeup was done by Charles of the Ritz and I'm wearing false eyelashes. It's a nice picture, but it's not me!

I'm thinking that since you really can't tell a book by its cover, maybe I should just leave well enough alone and stick with the picture I have. If I look like an old school marm, then the book will be a pleasant surprise. What do you think?

Every month, I write a note to two women I don't know and have never met. It's part of the Visiting Teaching program at our church. Writing to someone you don't know who never responds regardless of what you write is difficult. I usually pray about it. Today I wrote about a woman I knew several years ago who wrote a novel. She loved writing and she was a good writer and I expected that she would have some success with her manuscript. She belonged to a writer's group in a distant city and made the long drive once a month for their meetings. Finally, she asked the group's coordinator to read her manuscript and give her an honest opinion.

The coordinator told her it was a good book, but that her characters were too two-dimensional. My friend didn't know what that meant, but she didn't ask either. She put the book in a drawer and, to my knowledge, never did anything more with it.

Some years later, I looked up "two dimensional characters" in a Google search. It means that a character has no history, no back story. Main characters and recurring characters need to have a back story--everyone comes from somewhere.

The difference between success and failure isn't necessarily a lack of talent. This woman had a lot of talent, but one bump in the road and she put the manuscript away. Persistence and determination are necessary to accomplish anything in this life. Very few people are gifted with instant success. Success is achieved by studying, hard work, making mistakes and learning from them, and picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and trying again.

Thomas Alva Edison made 10,000 light bulbs before he actually created one that worked. He was asked once if he didn't feel all those earlier light bulbs were a waste of time. He answered in so many words, "No, because I found 10,000 ways NOT to make a light bulb." His persistence and determination were extraordinary.

Hand in hand with persistence and determination is gratitude for every little success achieved. Little successes lead to bigger successes. Whatever you believe, thanking our Father in Heaven for our many blessings is a good thing to cultivate--not only with Heavenly Father, but also with our family members. An "Attitude of Gratitude" can change lives for the better, improve marriages and other relationships. Persistence, determination, and gratitude are the essential components to success in almost any endeavor. And then sometimes, it's just dumb luck!