Good Friends are Hard to Find

As we go through this tough world it is always good to have a friend by your side to share your ups and downs and keep you centered. For me that's Cherri Galbiati. Cherri and I have been down the same publishing roads together. We've watched as our excitment over having our books "traditionally published" turned to dismay as our books languished in the ozone due to publisher indifference. For many years, I thought poor book sales were my fault. I spent money and time on marketing and promotion and I just couldn't get ahead. Then, Cherri helped me begin to think straight. She'd been watching how well the Indie Authors were doing financially and she was learning about the different avenues that were available for Indie Authors that just aren't available to traditionally published writer. Together, Cherri and I, saw the writing world open up.

I have to say, that I was a little leery about breaking with my publisher and going off on my own. But, I'd been down the Indie Author road before and I'd been making great headway when I gave it up and signed with a traditional press. I knew I could pursue avenues on my own that I couldn't pursue with a traditional press and it wouldn't hurt to try. After all, my last royalty check from my publisher wasn't even worth depositing. (In fact I have it here in front of me and every now and then I let my Bengal cat chew on it.) But, the proof is in the puddling so to speak. I uploaded my first Indie project on January 18, 2011. As of this date, March 29th, 2011, I've made more sales than I ever imagined! Obviously, I'm stunned. Me? Make money writing? Who'd have thought such a thing?

Good friends are hard to find. Friends that are truthful about the road less traveled and how that road is actually the better path than the one you're currently on - and why. Bless her heart. Cherri never let up, she guided me and lectured me and argued with me until my vision cleared and I saw the world and its opportunities through her eyes. Anyone else would have walked away from my stubborness.

Good friends are hard to find and I bless the day I found Cherri Galbiati. Cherri has two short stories Yesterday's Chance, and Halo and Holly on Kindle, but her first Indie Novel, Tracking Perception is now available (also on Kindle) for 99 cents. It's a good! mystery written by a cop's wife, and although Cherri is now retired from Search and Rescue, she writes about the lifestyle of being a handler, owning (and training) these incredible dogs, and what it's like to go on a "mission." All the elements of this well crafted cozy mystery will keep you turning the pages until you find out "who done it."

So, plunk down your 99 cents, sit back and enjoy a good, well-crafted cozy mystery, and when you're done send Cherri an email and say, "Diana sent me!"

Ninth Lord of the Night - Trade Paperback available

Ninth Lord of the Night - Trade Paperback

We're still in an age where readers enjoy holding a paper book in their hands so I'm pleased to have Ninth Lord of the Night out in trade paperback and selling for $9.99 on Amazon.com. The Kindle version of Ninth Lord of the Night is currently selling for $1.99, however that price will increase on April 1st to $4.99.

Speaking of pricing - there's a pricing war going on among Indie Authors with many dropping their novel prices down to 99 cents. They won't make much money, but they raising their sales numbers is more important to them than recouping expenses. At least, that's what I think their reasoning is. I set my prices according to the length of the work. Short stories are 99 cents. Novellas should be around $2.99 and novels - which take so very much time and effort to write - should be more than $1.99, but less than $6.99. And, personally, I think that the 99 cent range for novels simply cheapens the work effort. These are my thoughts only and the great thing about being an Indie Author is that each and every one of us is in control of our own pricing structure.

I've been pulling back this month - just as the Ingwaz rune predicted I would - to get Ninth Lord of the Night up in print and then finally I was able to get back to The Amber Stone, my work in progress. It's been so long since I worked on this manuscript that I spent a couple days rereading the material and I must say I'm happy with my work up to this point. Hopefully, this book will make its debut sometime this summer.

Right now, I'm researching Power Places and in particular Rollright Stones. The powers they are thought to possess are of peace, comfort and security as well as vibes of extreme negative energy. It's been reported that the ripples and vibrates in waves. It has also been reported that these stones house animal spirits and the forms of the animals can be seen upon occasion.



Ninth Lord of the Night - Print copy is coming!

From its inception, Ninth Lord of the Night is a project that I've refused to let go away. First published independently, it was then re-released by a trade publisher whose business model was mainly selling books to their own authors. Doors that I'd opened as an Indie Author were no longer available to me and my publisher was lax about taking opportunities available to them.

I believe in this book. I've always believed in the storyline of Ninth Lord of the Night. And, I'm not the only one. The book was optioned by a local film production company for over 5 years. Also, when the book was Indie Published, the B&N CRMs selected it as one of the top books by a local Indie Author, showing that these CRMs believed in it as well.

The rights to Ninth Lord of the Night have reverted back to me and is NOW available as an ebook in the Kindle Store for the low price of $1.99.

Soon, the trade paperback version of Ninth Lord of the Night will be for sale for $9.99 on Amazon. Of course I'll make a Big Announcement when the print version is "live".

I've now come full circle and can hunker down and work on other stories. It's been a long road, but my novel - Ninth Lord of Night is once again all mine!