If I tried really hard I could be scared, in fact I could be terrified. However I keep telling myself I'm built of sterner stuff than that.
"Ancestors and Angels" has been out around three months now, it has had fabulous reviews from those who've read it. Not that this is, as yet, so great an audience that I should let that go to my head. Progress is slow but steady, probably on account of my noticeable lack of a marketing strategy.
I'm supposed to endlessly blog and twitter and charm you all with my witticisms, but as time goes on I begin to wonder if I have any... wit I mean, and come to think of it, I'm not known for my charm either.
You see the problem.
Endlessly crying out "Buy my book!" over the pages of FB is probably wearing thin, or maybe it did about two months back, but folk were just too polite to say.
Even so, this does not explain what I'm scared of. You know what... I'm not sure I know either, but it certainly keeps me awake at night!
You see, the book not selling is scary, but then sometimes, the book selling is also scary.
When you write a book like mine, incorporating true stories of the paranormal, you get a mixed reaction.
Complete strangers who are interested in the genre are fascinated and really want to get to know you, which is wonderful, albeit a little disconcerting sometimes. On the other hand, close friends and family suddenly vanish off the face of the earth, presumeably so as not to be linked by association as part of the madness.
I'm not mad, honest!
So there have been highs and lows. The lows are of course the people who have run for the hills on discovery of the books content, and the agonising days of scrutinising sales figures, Amazon rankings, and trying to figure out how to set up my author page in several different formats.
The highs have been unexpected...well, apart from every time a book sells without me putting someones arm up their back or using wild emotional blackmail... "If you were REALLY my friend you'd want to buy a copy of this book!".
There has been the bonus of being asked along as a guest speaker with a young up and coming medium, and doing a round of engagements that have raised thousands for various charities, imagine how wonderful that feels!
There has been the amazing emails from "fans" (look at me getting all big headed), telling me of their own encounters with the paranormal and world of spirit.
There has also been the revelations of new and wonderful phenomena I hadn't heard of before, lots of new stories for my other forthcoming books.
... And then there have been the scary stories, the tales that are guaranteed to keep my readers awake at night too.
I'm not scared though.
No really.
I ain't afraid of no ghost!
