Web Site Headaches

Well, I finally bit the dust and started designing my own webpage.  Can't really say I designed it alone because I am using iWeb, an application on my Mac.  I struggled with GoDaddy and found it very confusing and hard to manipulate.  This app is so simple that even I can do it.  My site isn't live yet, but go ahead and capture my web address so you can visit later.  I was able to buy a very unique domain -- www.roxiemcbride.com.   I'll have lots of pics of my family, some interesting tidbits about my life thus far, and sneak peeks of other children's books "in the works."   Writing a book is the easy part -- it's all this "marketing" that drives me crazy.

Frustration Builds

March 1st was the release date of our book and it is finally available on Amazon.com.  Excitement turned to frustration when friends tried to order the book.  Amazon is selling for Tate and it takes 1 - 2 months to get the book.  That is ridiculous.  I have paperback copies and hardback copies that I can sell, but how to get the word out?

Marilyn and I are currently scheduling events.  We are going to several elementary schools to talk to students about how we wrote Adelia and then reading it to them.  Anyone out there needing a great program at a great price (free), just let me know.

Look for a story about Marilyn in the Daily Oklahoman on Tuesday.  Includes a picture of both of us with our book.

Blizzard Activities

Haven't been able to get my car out of the garage all week due to large snowdrift.  It is a  VW Beetle and wouldn't have made it out of the neighborhood even if it was out of the garage. Thank goodness Dave's pick-up is 4 wheel drive.  We have driven out to see the grandkids a couple of times and even made it to Firelake for some great nachos.

While stuck in the house we have been watching movies, catching up on recorded TV shows, and playing Wii Frisbee Golf.  That's what I call exercise.

My list of names grows ever longer.  What exactly I'm to do with this list, my marketing director only knows.

Have an appointment this week with my website designer.  Hope we can get it ready before March 1 so I will be official.

Finding People I Once Knew

Have spent the last two days looking at the snow and making lists of people I know.  I began with my classmates from Tuttle High School in the late 60's  (giving away my age, aren't I?).    College friends from Southwestern Jr. College,  Bethany Nazarene College (currently SNU,) UCO, OU, and OSU.  We have spread our money around to all the state schools.  Teaching in Western Heights, Tuttle, Moore, Putnam City for 13 years added lots of folks to the list.  Principalships in Putnam City and OKC provided more names of teachers, parents, and fellow principals.  Spent two years as adjunct professor at OCU then five years as independent educational consultant.  I have traveled all over the US providing reading workshops for some very good companies.

At this time of year I remember being in Montana during January.  Temp fell to 50 below.  Snow covered everything.  Owners of bed and breakfast where I was staying kept my rental car plugged in overnight. They sent me to the reservation the next morning with a stocking cap, blanket, food, and water.  Told me to drive between the two black poles -- used for snow plows so they knew where to plow -- and if I ran off the road, which I probably would, to stay in the car until someone finds me.  I was nervous all the way to the school.

Enough reminiscing,  now back to making lists.  Then the hard part begins -- finding addresses for everyone!

Idea born nearly 30 years ago

The idea for Adelia's Last Name originated almost 30 years ago.  Marilyn and I were presenting a session at The Writer's Conference, Inc. in KS.  We talked about the children's books we wanted to write.  I mentioned I was working on a story about a little girl who did not like her last name.  She was teased about it, it was hard to pronounce, etc.  Her parents told her that it would change when she got married so just be patient.  This was based on a true story about my name.  I complained to my dad that I was being teased because my first and last name rhymed.  He told me he was teased about his name when he was young.  His name was Brooklyn and they called him Brooklyn Bridge.  He told me he had to keep his name but I would get a new one when I got married.  Marilyn and I started brainstorming and thought it would be funny for the character to have a long last name that she thought would change when she married.  The twist at the end would be that she married someone with an even longer name.  Marilyn then mentioned a friend of hers named Adelia Diffenbaugh who married and became Adelia Deardorff.  Thus was born our character,  Adelia Dieffenbaugh-Dieffendorpher.  About the only thing our completed book has in common with our original story is the little girl's name.  More on how things changed later.

Babies arrive before books

Spent the last week with my wonderful grandchildren.  Three year olds are so funny!

Now I am staring at two stacks of  "Adelia's Last Name."   One stack of paperbacks and one stack of hardback copies.   Must begin marketing.

It only takes 9 months to make a baby, but it took over a year to "birth" this book.  I'm available for speaking engagements in schools, civic groups, etc. It really is an interesting story of how Adelia was created.  Additional stories in the works.

Now I'm an author

It has finally happened.  I am a published author.  For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to write children's books.  The first one will be released on March 1st.  Adelia's Last Name is a great story my good friend, Marilyn Davis, and I wrote together.  We started it about 15 years ago and submitted it for publication about one year ago.  Now we get to market it.