A new friend told me this morning that she was ‘an early morning wordy’. So am I. I wake up with a brain so full of words, they spill over the top of my skull.  I have a lot of words today so the best use would be to tackle that philosophical concept that heretofore has eluded me. I might get the next chapter done after all.

The wordy’s word of the morning: Wow

I knew this was coming, Siren-BookStrand told me so. I looked once about two weeks ago and saw nothing. I don’t know what spurred me to look today, but I did. You’re wondering what the heck I’m talking about? My novel is for sale on Amazon.com and get this…seeing it there made me cry. Happy tears. This is the first step in acquiring a dream for the man I love with all my heart.

Very few people know I’ve entered the realm of romantic fiction, fewer still that know my creations fall under the erotic romance heading. I never considered myself a person to ever write in the sub-genre but it was the quickest, most sure-fired way to break into the business.  In a lot of ways, breaking into this business is a catch 22. No one wants you if you’re new, you can’t get get experience unless they want you. I’ll stay in it for a while until my magnum opus is ready to pitch to a publisher. They’ll give a seasoned author a second look.

Today, with my happiness bubbling at the surface, I have small regrets that I chose the route I did. Today I found myself wanting to tell everybody. I wanted to start a scrapbook. In it I’d put my cover art and screen captures of my blog, my little piece of SirenBookStrand, my page at Amazon. I’d like to but were I to do all that, I’d appear to be nothing but a starry-eyed fan of an author. No one knows my name.

I made a comment to my grown daughter the other day, just a word or two about how ebooks are the big thing right now.  She’s the one who got me thinking about ebooks, not me actually writing one, no that came from another source, but thinking about them in general. The term Ambient Income was the phrase she used after reading about a very successful ebook author who now lives solely on his royalties. I liked the idea of Ambient Income. Income speaks for itself and Ambient is such an evocative word. Broken down it means to come from all sides. Good things coming from all sides. I like that. Yes, I’m a wordy.

This innocent testing-the-waters conversation between mother and daughter went something like this, “Romance novels in ebook format are really big sellers right now.” To which she replied, “Mm hm, they are.” I said, “I’m thinking of writing one.” She laughed, “Oh great, my mom’s gonna write sizzlers.” I added, “Erotic Romances sell even better.” The reply was, “I don’t even want to think about that.”

<sigh>And that’s the reason for the nom de plume. My kids and most people I know have no idea of this side of my creativity. Despite the look I’m selling on the largest bookselling website in America!! happiness I’m feeling right now, I don’t think they would like it.  Am I marginalizing myself? Probably. Do I know that for sure? No, but I’m a coward.

I was born late in my parent’s lives. I remember it was impossible not to compare my older parents to the younger parents of my friends. I remember being embarrassed by their older attitudes, attitudes that were diametrically opposite the views my friend’s parents held. I didn’t appreciate those old fashioned attitudes then like I do now because at the time I felt they hindered me. So-and-so could go here or there, but not me. So-and-so could do this or that, but not me. I’d get a mini lecture about how I’d understand when I grew up. I have and I do. The thing is, I’m still in contact with some of the peers of my youth. They grew up just fine with those extra experiences! I was cheated out of experiences for no reason other than my parents themselves had limits. Through those limits they embarrassed me in front of my peers. The thought I would embarrass my kids makes me tremble in my boots.

So to celebrate, I’ve shared my proud and happy news with a few people who might care and their feedback has been wonderful. I was planning to take my nom de plume into my closet and dance, but someone suggested I celebrate with cheesecake and the few friends that know. I think I shall this weekend. And it will be Ambient cheesecake for all…delicious cheesecake coming in from all sides! My friends and family still in the dark will enjoy every bite too.