LOSING IT ALL by Marsha Cornelius - Interview & Book Review #RBRT

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all

I have had a wonderful holiday and finally managed to keep away from gadgets for a few days! Progress... Saying this, does a kindle count as a gadget? I was reading after all!

I had a fantastic time with family and have recharged my batteries. Today, the Christmas decorations are down and I have to prepare for my youngest 6th Birthday in the next week. 

I was extremely chuffed to create this hair style on her over Christmas! Creativity comes in many guises.

It is a scary thought to think that I started writing nearly 5 years ago already... the phrase, 'where has the time gone?' truly applies in my case.

Anyway, I have read some brilliant books recently. My latest one was called THE FIRST VET, which I highly recommend. Before that I read LOSING IT ALL via Rosie's Book Review Team, and I was lucky enough to get an interview with Marsha! So sit back, read & enjoy. 

I wish you all the best for 2015.

LOTS OF HUGS,

Vanessa

Welcome, Marsha! Thank you for agreeing to ‘talk’ to me via my blog. First things first, time for us to find out about you via one of your books…

I read “Losing it All” and thought it was different to any book I have ever read before. 

This was my review… 

5 stars – Review on Amazon and Goodreads

“What an original and heart-warming book! This is life at its worst, with the best outcome.

I admit that I did not think it would be my kind of read when I started it, but as I progressed I got sucked into this desperate world of homelessness, domestic abuse, and bad luck.

Overall, the characters were beautifully developed and I loved it. The author has managed to take a difficult situation and write about it. I don't know many that could do this.

Highly recommend if you want to read about romance against the odds”

What do you think of my review? 

I'm so glad that you enjoyed the story, and could appreciate the hardships my characters overcame. 

You story is different to others. It exposes the harsh reality of being homeless or getting abandoned or evicted. What or who inspired you to write it? 

I live in a rural area near Atlanta, Georgia. When we first moved out here, I took long walks in the woods, and came across an abandoned house. Although the windows were broken out, and the door was hanging loose, the structure was sound. I began to imagine who would be willing to fix up this old place, and Frank, my main character, slowly took form in my mind.  He's a homeless man who lives in a cobbled shanty near the railyards of Atlanta. For a man like Frank, having all that space, and a dry roof over his head, would be fantastic. 

The world you portray is one many of us choose to ignore. Yet, for me, it made me think about the fact that we are always striving for our easier existence. The question is could we do what Frank did? Would we be happy without our creature comforts? What do you think?

When I was younger, I loved to go camping: sleep in a tent, cook on an open fire, squat in the woods. Now? I don't mind hiking all day, but at night, I want a shower and a bed. (And a toilet nearby for my nocturnal visits.) I don't think there are many people who could endure Frank's lifestyle. Most people can't even endure being without their phones! 

I currently volunteer every week at the storage facility for FOODBANK on the Isle of Wight. The volume of donations we receive is incredible. The stories I hear about the people who receive the food at the distribution centres is even more amazing. Do you do currently do any voluntary work?

I've done volunteer work in the past, but not this year. In fact, I volunteered for a soup kitchen in downtown Atlanta. That's where I gleaned some of my research on homeless shelters and community services. 

What do you think makes a great writer? The story or the writing? I would say both, but believe that without a good story, the writing is empty. Do you agree with me? 

For the most part, I agree that there must be a good story. But I've come across examples where there is hardly any story at all, it's the writing that carries the reader along. I just finished Emma Donoghue's Hood. By today's standards, there is very little plot: no twists, or crises; no cliff-hanger, or evil antagonist. It's simply seven days of a young woman reminiscing about her relationship with her lover. The writing is so beautiful, though, that the reader is carried through the story effortlessly.  

 

Does anything you have ever been through come close to what you put your characters through?

Not at all. I've always considered myself a resilient person. I've lost jobs, gotten divorced and started over from scratch, but I never felt like I was losing control; that I didn't have friends or family that would be there to support me.  That was one of the tricky parts of writing Losing It All. I had to paint both Frank and Chloe into corners where they had nowhere to turn. 

Without giving a lot away, I have to say that the ending was fantastic. Was this important to you? You could have done many things with this story.

Oh, believe me, I wrote many different endings to the story. And I was tempted to write a more severe ending. But basically, I'm an old softy, so the ending had to be a happy one. 

Regardless of a great story, publicity and marketing is what really sells a book. Many people have mixed views on the use of social media. Do you think it is important? (I found you via an online Book Club after all). If so, how do you prioritise your time?

Social media is my only means of getting out the word on my books, so it's very important to me.  I tried book signings, but it's just not cost effective for a beginning author like me. I know big-name authors can draw people into a store who are willing to pay $20 for a hardcover book, but not indie authors like me.  I truly regret the demise of so many independent bookstores. They've been driven out by big-box stores like Barnes and Noble and online sites like Amazon. But whether we like it or not, digital books are the future.  Some online book sites, like Book Bub, and Pixel of Ink, have been a boon for my book sales, both when I list my books as free, and also when I reduce the price. My problem with social media is that it's so easy to get sucked into spending hours online chatting with readers, so I have to budget my time. My writing comes first. I spend my mornings working on a book. Then when my brain has lost it's edge, I get on Twitter and Facebook, and check my e-mails.  

Do you have an author you admire? If so, why?

I really admire Russell Blake. He's an indie author who has become very successful. He has a great website, and he owes all of his accomplishments to his marketing tenacity. I 'met' him years ago on Twitter when he was fairly new to the indie market, so I've seen how far he has advanced.  

What are you working on now? Tell us about it…

Book number five is at the editor's, so I'll be looking at a rewrite soon. Once it's complete, it should be ready for release this spring. The book is called, It's a Boy. It's a speculative story about women controlling the political and corporate worlds, and men are second-class citizens. My main character is Mason, who lives in this subservient society, and makes a series of mistakes that leads him down a path of moral corruption. 

Where we can find out more about you and buy your books?

My website is: http://mrcornelius.com

I can also be found at

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marshacornelius

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4993738.M_R_Cornelius

Amazon Author page: http://amzn.to/SLhv6O (US)  http://ow.ly/CiOJs  (UK) 

Thank you for your time and for letting me read your book via Rosie’s Book Review Team.

Prada and Prejudice - Katie Oliver tells all!

Welcome, Katie Oliver, and thank you for agreeing to ‘talk’ to me via my blog.

Thank you, Vanessa.  It’s lovely to be here!

First things first, time for us to find out about you, via one of your books… I read “Prada and Prejudice” and got sucked in! This is my review…

4 stars – Review on Amazon and Goodreads

“I got this book for FREE when I did a search of the top 100 the other day ... after getting a mixed assortment I started reading this one & was so hooked I read it in a day!

The thing about a book like this is that it enables complete escapism into a chick-lit world! The characters are not average, the situations are far-fetched... BUT... I loved it! Sometimes, I don't want to read a story that's real - I want one where I laugh, muse and cheer for the characters.

I thought the main characters had everything that is great about British humour - it's so dry (especially with men!) I also liked the depth to the story and underlying issues that surrounded the central characters. So much more going on than a lazy spoilt rich girl.

Not sure it is like Pride & Prejudice at all though. If you liked Bridget Jones - this is the book for you. The central male character had "hints" of Darcy, but in my opinion is nothing like him. He works hard for a living, Darcy was a "gentleman". Natalie is definitely more Bridget Jones than Elizabeth Bennett!”

What do you think of my review?

I think it’s a lovely review, and I think you really “got” the essence of what I tried to do when I wrote the book.  My intention with Prada and Prejudice was to pen a fun, frothy, entertaining story – something to make the reader forget about that overbearing boss, that towering stack of laundry in the basket, that miserable, hour-and-a-half commute home.  I wrote what I like to read but couldn’t always find…something romantic and funny, with characters I cared about and with a darker ‘edge’ - in this instance, in the form of Ian Clarkson and his obsession with Natalie Dashwood. {I agree ... Clarkson had real issues! Eek!}

Since I am a HUGE Pride & Prejudice fan, I have to ask, are you?

Oh, yes, unquestionably!  I’ve read the book, I’ve seen every film version (not to mention the BBC miniseries with Colin Firth, and that unforgettable damp shirt!) - {who could forget that damp shirt... I'm feeling faint all of a sudden}, and I’ve watched Bridget Jones’s Diary a half-dozen times, as well.  

Pride and Prejudice is a classic of literature because of the emotion Jane Austen invested in the story…because her characters are memorable and real…and because it’s a story that still resonates with modern readers. 

You story is unique and different, but it is obviously targeted at women who love Austen. Is this a genre you have always loved to read, and what inspired you to start writing about Natalie and Rhys?

Thank you!  The Dating Mr Darcy tagline was conceived as a way to present the three books as a cohesive series, although each can be read on its own.  While they are similar to Jane Austen’s books in that they feature the romantic misadventures of a particular set of characters, I tried to take the books in their own, unique direction.

I was inspired to write Prada and Prejudice one evening while watching “Kitchen Nightmares,” featuring Gordon Ramsay. On this particular episode, Gordon travelled to Boca Raton, Florida to try and salvage a failing Italian restaurant.  The restaurant owner was a headstrong Italian princess, and the conflict between her and Chef Ramsay was epic…it was also hilarious, and even touching at one point, when she broke down in tears.

I began to play the writer’s favourite game, ‘what if,’ and imagined what would happen if a strong character like Ramsay came in to salvage a troubled British department store and butted heads with a stubborn, spoilt girl accustomed to having her own way – and Rhys Gordon and Natalie Dashwood came into being.

I have to admit that I am crushing on Rhys at the moment! Does he have qualities of men you have met? Do any exist? (Ha ha… lucky my husband does not read my blog!)

Good thing my husband doesn’t read my books!  LOL.  Rhys is pretty hot, isn’t he?  He’s smart, street savvy, determined and ambitious – and yet he isn’t conventionally handsome.  In my mind, Rhys is a little bit Daniel Craig, with the personality and drive of Gordon Ramsay, and he’s a little bit Ewan McGregor.  He’s slightly rough around the edges.  He has a temper.  But there’s no one more dependable or fiercely loyal to those he loves. {Sigh... I'm feeling faint AGAIN}

What do you think it is about ‘Darcy qualities’ that drives so many women (including me) crazy?

In fact, one of my most popular (and most Tweeted) blogs is “The Enduring Appeal of Jane Austen’s Men,” which asks that very question:  what is it, exactly, that keeps us coming back to Mr Darcy, Colonel Brandon, Henry Tilney, and Mr Knightley?  The answer, I think, is that they are all good and decent men, but they are also flawed and human.  They are passionate.  They love deeply and completely.

What woman can resist that?

Natalie came across as very shallow and stupid at the beginning. Honestly, she improved because she was a really nice person, but I got the impression a lot of the initial attraction was all about looks. Do you think lust is just as important as love in a relationship?

I think it’s a very good starting point!  LOL.  Seriously, while physical attraction is important and is what initially draws us to someone else, it’s that person’s inner qualities that keep us coming back for more.  Kindness, a sense of humour, compassion, loyalty – they’re all far more important traits than physical beauty, which, let’s face it, fades over time. {So, so true... unless you pay for surgery! LOL}

The world in which Natalie lives is not the world most of us come from… do you think this is what makes reading these kind of books/ watching chickflick movies appealing? I certainly loved escaping into this world. For example, a £11,000 chandelier is not what every person would consider a reasonable purchase – Natalie was crazy!

Natalie, at least in the beginning of the book, has a very vague concept of financial reality and absolutely no idea what a budget is!  This is due to her privileged upbringing and the fact that her father died when she was eleven.  For most of her life, her mother and her grandfather, Sir Richard, have indulged her.  She’s a kind girl with a good heart – she simply has no idea how to manage money, because she’s never had to, and she’s ill-prepared to cope in the wake of the failing department store’s losses.

I definitely do like to escape into a world different from my own!  I think the appeal of chick flicks and chick lit is that they allow us to identify with heroines like Rebecca Bloomwood and her shopping excesses, Bridget Jones and her endless diets, and Andie Sachs and her fashion fails, while allowing us a glimpse into the worlds of high finance, or publishing, or high-end fashion magazines.  It just goes to show that everyone – no matter how rich or famous or powerful – has the same need to love and be loved.

To help budding authors reading this, can you tell us a bit about how you came to publish your books?

I wrote the books mostly on weekends and in free moments.  Up until very recently I worked full time, so writing was something I squeezed in whenever I could.  When I finished the third book, I approached the Elaine English Literary Agency in Washington, DC for representation and submitted “Love and Liability.”  Although they couldn’t use it at the time, Elaine referred me to Nikki Terpilowksi, who had just left to start her own agency, Holloway Literary.

Nikki emailed me and asked to see a synopsis and the first 50 pages, and then asked for the entire manuscript.  After reading it she offered me representation.  Needless to say, I was thrilled!

What was the editorial process like?

It was a bit daunting the first time.  Since Carina UK bought all three books, there were things like continuity to consider.  And each book had to stand alone, so that readers who hadn’t read the first book could follow the characters in the second or third. I think there were initially 11 pages of revisions for Prada and Prejudice.  But my editor, Helen, did an amazing job of shaping and refining the story into the wonderful read it is now.

It’s gotten easier with each successive book…I’ve learned to ‘think like an editor’ and anticipate the things an editor might comment on, and I try and fix them before they get tagged.

At the moment, many people have mixed views on social media. Do you think it is important? (I found you on Twitter – how fantastic is that!) If so, how do you prioritise your time?

I do think social media is important, and whether we like it or not – it’s here to stay.  I love Twitter and I’ve met so many lovely people (like yourself) there!  To me, it’s not a chore at all – it’s fun.  I have a Facebook author page and Goodreads and Amazon author pages as well.

I try to Tweet in the mornings and throughout the day, most days.  I’m on Facebook and Goodreads sporadically, but I try to pop in at least once or twice a week.  It’s sometimes tough as a writer to juggle social media with writing responsibilities, particularly if I’m on a deadline – as I am now.  I’ve learned to wing it and do the best I can.  But for me, writing always comes first.

Do you have an author you admire? If so, why?

Just one?  LOL.  I admire Helen Fielding; she defied the standard romantic convention at the time and wrote about a woman who wasn’t rail-thin, who didn’t work in a glamorous job, but who, like most of us, struggled with her weight and disastrous boyfriends and dead-end jobs.  And despite her failings and foibles, we all fell in love with Bridget Jones.

What are you working on now? Tell us about it…

I’m writing the sixth book in the Dating Mr Darcy series, “Prada in New York.”  Natalie persuades Rhys to let her come along with him to Manhattan to open a new Dashwood and James store.  Holly James is in the city as well – her boyfriend, chef Jamie Gordon, is opening his first US restaurant in midtown.

Natalie is dismayed to learn that Rhys has a sexy new personal assistant, Darcy Quinn.  She’s convinced that Darcy wants a bit more from Rhys than just a pay raise.  Holly is equally dismayed when she meets Jamie’s gorgeous new sous chef, Catherine.  He’s spending more time with Catherine than he is with her!  So when ex-flame Alex Barrington reappears in her life, Holly finds herself wondering…did she choose the wrong man?

There’s also a cat burglar on the loose, and when he steals a portrait of Natalie’s father from the apartment, Nat is determined to catch the thief.

Where we can find out more about you and buy your books?

Amazon UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Katie-Oliver/e/B00HGQ93VS

Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/Katie-Oliver/e/B00HGQ93VS

Apple UK - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/prada-prejudice-dating-mr/id768943007?mt=11

Apple US - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/prada-prejudice-dating-mr/id768943007?mt=11

Kobo US - http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/prada-and-prejudice-dating-mr-darcy-book-1

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7565829.Katie_Oliver

Pink Ink - http://pinkinkladies.wordpress.com

Katie Oliver Website - http://katieoliver.com/ko/

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/katieoliver01/

The perfect trilogy for Austen-and-shopping-mad fans! Give in to your love of scandal and Prada in this glamorous collection of the Dating Mr Darcy trilogy!

Prada and Prejudice

He’s a man in possession of a large fortune….but is he in want of a wife?!

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Natalie Dashwood loves to shop. After all, as the heiress to the renowned London department store Dashwood & James she’s been wearing designer shoes since she could walk! But a socialite’s life isn’t as perfect as you might imagine… Natalie’s spending is spiraling slightly out of control, her rock star boyfriend is engaged to someone else, and it seems the family business is in financial crisis. New high-flying business exec Rhys Gordon has been brought in to save the company from ruin, but what are his motives? And infuriatingly even a shoe-shopping spree can’t take her mind off his distracting and oh-so-charming smile…

Couture and confetti mix with scandal and intrigue in this wonderful tale of retail, romance and redemption.

Love and Liability

Sometimes your sensibilities make absolutely no sense!

Holly James is looking for her big break. A young journalist for BritTEEN magazine, she is dying to write about something more meaningful than pop stars and nail varnish. So when she spots a homeless teenager outside the office, she feels compelled to tell her story. But her evil boss Sasha has other ideas…
Holly is sent to interview a city solicitor she has never heard of. But Alex Barrington turns out to be the very opposite of fusty and boring and Holly’s interest struggles to stay strictly professional!


With Sasha sabotaging her every move, and her story about teens on the street leading her into London’s dark underworld, Holly is chasing both love and success at the same time. But happy endings like that only happen in books don’t they…?

Mansfield Lark

Gemma Astley has succeeded where so many others have failed. She has somehow managed to tame tearaway rock star Dominic Heath and stop his womanising ways for good. But just as they find happiness, Dominic’s secret aristocratic past becomes public knowledge, and jeopardises everything.

Dominic is actually Rupert Locksley, heir of Mansfield House, a crumbling stately home that needs major financial investment to save it from ruin.

Dominic’s mother pleads for his help, but his father, the Earl, is on the verge of disinheriting him. Meanwhile Dominic’s new status as Mansfield’s long-lost heir attracts the attention of cut-throat socialite Bibi Matchington-Alcester, who means to make him hers at any cost.

Gemma and Dominic will need to test the strength of their foundations – as well as those of Mansfield House – if either are to remain standing.

FIRST DATE is now FREE

When a book does not sell you can do one of two things (in my humble opinion)... despair and pull your hair out OR make it FREE.

Think happy thoughts... sales DO NOT MATTER! 

After, pulling far too much hair out for too long I have decided to go for option two!

My novelette FIRST DATE has great reviews, but it just did not sell. After I ran a free promotion I did get some sales but then they vanished into thin air.

I added three short stories to make it a bigger collection and still that did not do the job. Ultimately, it was only priced at 77 p so any sales were frankly silly money! This is why it is logical to give it away. I want readers to enjoy my story.

For those of you who want to know how I did this, basically you make it free with another distributor (in my case smashwords) and then Amazon price match it! Smashwords distribute to other retailers so I get more exposure... win-win! Maybe?

Since HYBRID has gone FREE permanently, I see regular sales of COMPLICATIONS, RETURN, and the BOXSET. I have readers! YAY! I have had amazing feedback (and some not so great... let's not talk about that too much).

Anyway, to celebrate I have designed a brand new cover with Gibraltar in the backdrop (yes... that is Morocco in the distance! I took this picture whilst on the cable car). After all, FIRST DATE is set there... it is based on my real date when I was an innocent teenager!

I would love to know what you think of this new cover... and if you read my little collection please leave me feedback!

Thanks so much and have a great weekend! :)

Vanessa :) xx

AMAZON - FOR KINDLE OR KINDLE ENABLED DEVICE
SMASHWORDS - FOR ANY DEVICE
BARNES & NOBLE - FOR NOOK (The two reviews on here were given to me before I updated and tweaked the stories - I do listen to negative feedback and took on board the comments!)
ITUNES - FOR IPAD

My first Kindle Countdown deal...

*** Promotion running from 4th July - 10th July via Amazon.com only***

LINK => VISIT AMAZON & DOWNLOAD

It seemed apt to start my first ever KDP Countdown deal on the 4th July! 

Amazon gave indie authors like me the freedom to publish books to the masses, and earn much higher royalties (yes, I can now buy a sandwich AND a cookie! Ha ha).

There has been a lot of mixed press since I first published HYBRID in 2012 about the downfall of books! I have read both sides of the story from different perspectives, but the bottom line is if people buy more books and read more then going digital is a fantastic thing to do.

When music first went digital there were a lot of skeptics, but now sales are at an all-time high! It takes time for consumers (us) to adjust to the new way of things. Ultimately, there is room for everybody. I still buy CDs and DVDs, AND I download digital copies of music and film. I now also buy paperbacks AND download ebooks. I like both.

Some readers now only download to kindle... that is their choice & this promotion is aimed at the Kindle market! If I could offer paperback deals I would, but it's not possible - I'm sorry!

Ultimately, we readers have so much choice and freedom to choose now. I understand that even this promotion might be a hard sell. Why pay when there are so many other books to choose from for free? The bottom line is we will pay for what we want to read - and I hope you choose to read my Trilogy.

Let's be honest here... 3 full size novels at $6 is cheap! With this Kindle countdown deal you get them all on the first 27 hours for only $0.99! Awesome, right? 

So what else can I say to convince you to give my trilogy a chance? Not much, but I have been extremely chuffed today after receiving the most amazing feedback from THE BOOK FAIRY.

She certainly is my fairy... with perfect timing, since the promo starts tomorrow and I had no reviews when I went for it.

Enjoy, I certainly did!

Thank you for visiting my blog,

Vanessa :-) 

MY BOOK FAIRY review for THE EVOLUTION TRILOGY

"I've left the reviews on each individual book, but I downloaded Hybrid for free and borrowed the books in the trilogy format from the Kindle library, which I would suggest for anyone wanting to read the entire trilogy. I've rated each individual book at five stars and although I am sad to be finished with the trilogy, I think it was absolutely amazing.

The Next Evolution of Humans - The review of Hybrid (The Evolution Trilogy)

"This is a story that could be considered a paranormal romance, but it’s so much more than that... You spend the first half or so of the story learning about Caitlin and Steven and watching their relationship develop. Then there is an unexpected turn of events, which sets the baseline for the remainder of the story. You see Steven taken away from everyone he knows and everyone he loves, no one knows who he is, or that he exists. You come to learn about the next evolution in humankind and their trials and tribulations, their wants and needs and the story leaves you wanting for more. All of the main and supporting characters are well built with complex personalities which brings the story to life. You can feel the pain they feel and understand their feelings from excitement, fear, love and lust to sorrow and uncertainty about the future. I couldn't put this book down and read from the start to about 63% in before I stopped and by the time I was about 80% done I knew I’d be buying the remaining two in the trilogy."

Evolution Doesn't Come Without Change... - The review of Complications (The Evolution Trilogy)

"The characters and story had me enchanted from day one and the plot unfolded at just the right pace. This isn’t your typical paranormal or vampire story, but it will keep you on your toes and isn't full of “fluff”, but has a lot of deeper issues going on in the sidelines along with the main plot. When I found out this was the authors debut trilogy I couldn't believe it. I can’t wait to see what else Vanessa writes in the remainder of this trilogy and beyond."

Can Change Come Without Sacrifice? - The review of Return (The Evolution Trilogy)

"Once again Vanessa has created a flawless story, I didn't notice any grammar or spelling errors, which means there either were none or I was so absorbed into the story I didn't see them, which is a HUGE deal to me. I loved the entire trilogy and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a paranormal story with a twist and some romance. I am impressed that the scenes that could have quickly turned these books into erotic were kept "clean" and "classy" while still bringing all of the emotion of the action between characters."

KDP Promo can work...

Selling books via Amazon has its highs and lows! The effectiveness of the KDP scheme has been questioned by many over the last year. To be honest, I have rarely had many sales as a result. I think the conversion of free downloads to sales is very low overall. This is the reason I have kept HYBRID free permanently - it is the only way to get noticed in this world of overflowing cheap eBook supply.

Saying this, after running a free promo of FIRST DATE for two days, I got over 700 downloads in the US and yesterday had 9 sales already! Trust me, this is short of amazing! Highest my little book has ever been in the US! 

Check it out here via Amazon... UK US 

Now compare to my promo with A TEST OF TIME. I have posted on the same sites, tweeted and mentioned it on Facebook and Goodreads, yet, I have barely had any downloads... I think for the first day I had 10!

I guess romance sells, maybe? 

It is a shame since it really is a fantastic collection. I think many readers (like me) don't tend to go for short stories... and yet FIRST DATE is a collection of only 3 shorts (one being over 9000 words)!

I have to admit that I have given up on publishing anthologies now. The time and work involved to produce them does not seem to be worth it. I think I would raise more money for the charities by running a cake sale! 

However, I did learn a lot by doing them so I have no regrets, and on this one I even published a piece written by my dad.. so win win!

Another theory is that children's ebooks are not as popular. From my existing promotion for READING IS MAGIC, it seems to be another flop! I think the KDP scheme has run its course for the anthologies.

Anyway, I'm extremely grateful to anyone who gives my writing a go. 

Thank you. You keep me smiling... I hope my stories give you some enjoyment too.

All the best,
Vanessa

p.s.
For those interested, the final downloads were as follows:
FIRST DATE = over 750 :-) US ... 720 downloads!
A TEST OF TIME = under 50 :-( US ... 35 downloads!
Current promo for READING IS MAGIC = 39 :-( UK ... 22 downloads! (Beating the US downloads for once)

For comparison, this month HYBRID has had 2550 downloads in the US (helped by FREEBOOKSY) versus 191 in the UK... I guess people in the UK don't like FREE eBooks?