Wanted: Half a Clue Seeks Same

I realized with an ugly start yesterday that I have a life outside of The Last Prospector that's being neglected. It started when I sent an update email to one of my closest friends and then suddenly remembered that I had left another good friend hanging about something important.

Omigosh, I felt so guilty as I dashed off a message to The Point (that will be good friend's code name from here, I named a significant geographic feature in Solstice after her).  The Point was trying to find homes for two cats whose elderly owners were moving to a care facility and knew that I was looking for an older cat to take in.  I'm adamantly against taking in a kitten or small dog if Sweetback the hawk considers our back yard to be part of his hunting territory.

Well, all this happened in the days leading up to the blog challenge and the challenge opened up many opportunities for me and Prospector, so I'm ashamed to say that I forgot all about the cats.  The Point was more than gracious about my lapse, but she's a very gracious and kind lady and even asked about my happenings with the book.  I briefed her and my closing line was this, "I still only have half a clue about what I'm doing, but that ain't stopping me."

Such true words that could describe easily half of the things that I've thrown myself into over the years.  Perhaps even three quarters.  Life is an adventure and I am a thrill seeker of sorts, I have yet to bungee jump and am not opposed to it, but my thrills are more offbeat.  I almost never fully look into something before throwing myself headlong into the unknown and publishing is no different.

Here's exactly how it went:  I threw down the book that catalyzed this in disgust and told Clyde that I was writing my own story, I went on to say that I would also self publish and that I would figure it all out on the job.  End of saga.  No research, no planning, no strategizing -- I'm coming to this new world, so make room.

From what I've read, I'm doing this all wrong.  I should have tested the market, built up a strong online presence before the book was released and be much more aggressive about selling The Last Prospector through this blog.

This is for the permanent record folks:  this blog was never intended to be a vehicle for sales (blasphemy, I know).  My sole intention for creating The Light Stealers Song was to prove to the world that I could write coherently and entertainingly so that people would have enough faith in me to go out and buy the book.  I want everyone to have the exact same confidence in my words that they have in my food, it's just that I've spent a whole lifetime proving that I can cook.

The only people who ever knew I could write were my English teachers, so I hope they are all happy now! And if any of you out there know Bill Karns from Cosumnes River College, tell him Cairn says hey :)

So I keep making moves, right and wrong moves, but at least it is motion.  And I learn more every day, but the most important thing that I already know is that there are as many roads to success as there are feet walking.

That's all my bleating for today, I'm looking forward to tonight's uber-super-duper-cool fun that I will breathlessly report on tomorrow.  Pleasant day Travellers!