Ree Drummond's Black Heels to Tractor Wheels

As authors, we can read other authors' books, watch a million movies, camp out at the library, all in the name of research.  What a grand career we are in. 

So, under that guise, I have listened, so far, to two-thirds of the inspirational audiobook written and narrated by Ree Drummond entitled Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, a love story about how the author met, dated and married her husband.  This is The Pioneer Woman from the website of the same name, with her online collection of all her loves:  photos, recipes, family, movies, homeschooling.  She can even be found on TV with her cooking show.  And her true-life love story should make everyone jump for joy that true love exists, that men like Marlboro Man live and breathe, and that they apparently love their women, happy flaws and all.

Ree did the taping on her audiobook.  She seemed to be sticking straight with the script, although I would be dubbing in more afterthoughts, side notes, laughter, crying, what-have-you.  I'm impressed she held it together when narrating her personal story, including recalling her propensity for Lucille Ball-like incidents, her own mistakes.

I'm not completely through the taped book, but it is uplifting, even while wrapped in reality.  Of course, I'll finish listening to the audio today, and may have to do so over and over as I try to separate myself from the sheer joy of the story to be objective enough to see her writing techniques.  Even if I'm not capable of that distancing, it would be no hardship to hear the whole wonderful how-we-met rendition over and over.

May we all share in such happiness, love, life.  Have a good one, everybody!

P.S.  Per a quick internet search, the movie rights to Ree's love story have been bought.  I hope we get to see the movie soon, but . . . there is no guarantee how fast that will happen.  Still nice to know it is being considered.

P.P.S.  I finished listening to the audiobook the other day.  My first leg of reading was the more fairy-tale events leading up to real life.  So the story has its sad moments, its tense moments and, even as a blog reader knowing she has four kids, the oldest is female, you get caught up in the story events, like guessing the sex of their first child:  "I just know it's a boy."  Plus hearing or reading about a "three-week honeymoon in Australia" sounds wonderful, doesn't it?  Wait until you hear the details of their honeymoon.  It just goes to prove that things on the outside, or on paper, are not what they seem.  Still, good reading.  Realistic.  Honest.  And proves true love, that magical, mystical, blissful, passionate version we thought was meant only for romance novels, can exist in real life and wins out over "small" things like not having a dishwasher with your first infant, or having money troubles, or going from a city life to a working ranch where there are no days off, no ice days or other such weather-related cancellations, no sick days, no ten-holiday-a-year benefits.  I said it before.  I'll say it again.  Inspirational.

The Amazon Lending Library, One Author's Perspective

I uploaded my debut e-novel, Good Ole Boys, to Amazon, exclusively to the Lending Library for three months.  Although I have four other e-books live on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble, this is my first fiction work I have released.  While my Amazon sales exceed my B&N sales, maybe it would have been more evenly matched had I offered only e-novels.

But with the knowledge at hand, I opted to enroll this first e-novel of mine in the Lending Library.  Obviously that precludes any strictly Nook readers for a season--although they could download a copy to their computer via the Kindle for PC buying option.  Still, at the end of the ninety-days of exclusivity, Good Ole Boys will also be offered at B&N.

Plus I plan to put up (soon) my next e-book, "Good Ole Boys:  The Prequel," at both online stores.

Granted my initial Amazon enrollment was done midmonth, so I missed an opportunity to be the single free read chosen for December by many Amazon Prime Members just by the later timing of my upload.  Still, my baby was not ready until the seventeenth.  I'm happy with what went up on that date.  Anything before that would not have been "right" enough.

However, there are two things working for me.  One, some people are getting their first Kindle under the Christmas tree this year, so I'm expecting further activity December 25 on.  Two, as another new name among the throng of beginning and established authors, this is a marketing tool.

Being free to the reader, it remains a cash cow for me.  Granted a fluctuating cash flow, much like the stock market, being diluted as more authors opt-in, but alternatively being increased as more of an author's books are borrowed.  Gives new meaning to the word "free" from an author's perspective.

Remember, too, that enrollment in Amazon's Lending Library does not  preclude a normal sale.  It just gives our readers a choice.  Those in the Amazon Prime program have a subset of all the book offerings online that are offered to them for free, while they can buy those they wish from the bigger pool of authors.

So, as my experiment continues, I'll report back with any other revelations I garner.

Please keep in mind, this is new to us all--Amazon, the authors, the readers.  So if I've misinterpreted anything herein, forgive me.  I'll correct any such errors in later posts as my data indicates.

Also note that your e-book, once enrolled, is set to be automatically enrolled for the next ninety-day period unless you uncheck the box.  I believe I found that in my Bookshelf, clicking on the Enrollment data/info area and then snooping around there.  Just FYI.

In the meantime, keep reading and writing.  A well-written entertaining book is a treasure forever.

Good Ole Boys, a novel

Ta-da!  My debut novel has just now been uploaded to Amazon, soon to be part of its new lending library, so exclusively there for at least ninety days.  It is entitled Good Ole Boys and should show up live tomorrow.

As my earlier posts state, I wrote its prequel during NaNo 2011.  Which was kissed with good luck in its first draft and, after its upcoming Final Edit, will hopefully be uploaded soon, by Christmas even.  So look also for Good Ole Boys:  The Prequel to hit Amazon's Lending Library as well.

Phew!  Glad that is over with.  And yet so excited!