Reading Update and Advertising

Update from last post: I got my four replacement cakes of yarn from Herrschners. One was defective. Figures! I’ll just have to do with what I have (which is hopefully enough). And I got my $5 from Kroger! Apparently it works better if you CALL them than e-mail them. I will remember that the next time.

So… I’m experimenting with advertising. I’ve been advertising on Amazon since April and I’m finally making money. Not a lot, but then I wasn’t making much of anything before. My Amazon royalties in 2020 was over $700 compared to about $300 in 2019. Wish I could say my profit from advertising was $300, but it wasn’t. I have better hope for this year, since I updated my blurb/description and the back matter to each ebook (with links to the next in the series). It’s because of those changes that my advertising started to earn money instead of just spend it.

Since I was doing better on Amazon, I decided to venture out to other venues. Like BookBub (advertising, not book deal). I heard it was fairly easy. And it was…sort of. But I think it’ll be awhile before I go back there. They just eat my money (pretty much like Facebook does). I might try again when I release my next book.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book #6

Dates read: January 25-28
Title: Lord of Misrule (Morganville Vampires Vol. 3)
Year of publication: 2009
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal
Series: Morganville Vampires #5
# of Pages: 220
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Borrowed from daughter
Blurb from book: In  Morganville, violent black clouds promise  a storm of devastating proportions. As student Clair Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against the elements—both natural and unnatural—the unexpected happens: Morganville’s vampires begin to vanish one by one. Discovering why leads Clair to one last choice: Swear allegiance to Bishop—or die…

My thoughts: I really hated the “ending” to this one. I don’t think there was even a book story in it that was resolved. I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t started reading this series. But I have the next three, so I will continue.

Book #7

Dates read: January 29-February 1
Title: Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires Vol. 3)
Year of publication: 2009
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal
Series: Morganville Vampires #6
# of Pages: 217
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Borrowed from daughter
Blurb from book: An underground resistance is brewing in Morganville. In order to contain it, Bishop vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants—the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules after having such a taste of power?

My thoughts: Wow! An actual ending! I’m shocked. And a little afraid to read the next book in the series (since I only have access to up to #8 and there are 15 books in this series). But read it, I will, because apparently I’m a glutton for punishment. Don’t get me wrong, the stories are fun to read. It’s just the endings I’ve hated. Except for this one. This one I liked.

So… Were you surprised by the groundhog yesterday? I wasn’t. I woke up to lots of snow on the ground and a bright, shining sun. Super cold out, too. But I celebrated the day by watching “Groundhog Day.” I love that movie. Do you?

Happy Reading!

Stacy