Ups and Downs

When I started this blog, I figured I would make it about my life as an itinerant writer, and what that's like.  Sometimes I post about my book releases, etc., but I never wanted this to be an exercise in marketing.  I wanted it to be more personal.  Currently, that begs the question, how personal do I really want it to be?  I think that on social media, generally, people tend to post all of the things that make their lives look like a travel brochure.  It makes it look like everyone else's life is more glamorous and exciting than your own.  I didn't want to do that, either.  I do travel a lot, and visit a lot of interesting places.  The truth is, though, everyone has their struggles.  As for my own, well, this post is an update on my prostate cancer diagnosis, which I've decided to share.  I don't know if anyone even finds their way to this blog, I never check the stats, but just in case, here's the latest.  I've opted for a treatment called High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU).  Based on my stage, the studies I've read suggest it has about a 70 percent chance of success.  Tomorrow is the big day.  That means, four hours under anesthesia while they perform the procedure and then I'll be sent home the same day.  I look forward to getting it over with.  The first real test will come in three months, when I get the first indication of whether or not it was successful.  Until then, finger's crossed...

Kindle Storyteller 2019 contest

I'm excited for the release of my newest thriller, Vendetta Girl, which is set for May 12th.  This one follows Natalia Nicolaeva as she matches wits with Russian hackers, corrupt government officials and hired killers.  It's a little on the short side, at a bit under 200 pages, but I'm very happy with how it came out.  This character is really starting to grow on me, and I'm already hard at work on the next book in the series.

It's good timing that the Vendetta Girl release coincides with the entry period for Amazon's 2019 Storyteller UK contest.  This is a contest open to any English language book self-published on Amazon from May through August.  The winner receives a £20,000 cash prize plus marketing assistance and the option to have the book translated into other languages.  It sounds good to me! I am entering, but this is where I need help from readers.  The finalists are chosen based on sales and customer reviews, so if you decide to read the book and like it, don't be shy about sharing your thoughts in a review on the book's Amazon page!  Mostly, though, I just hope that people enjoy reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it.