Was surprised and delighted to receive a message from a lady called Elly, who runs a support group for ME/CFS sufferers near Washington, in the USA! She has kindly posted a link on her site to my own website, and has listed my book too (I love that my book has been listed as COMEDY - yay)! Paige has now travelled further than I have - Dubai AND the United States of America - I’ve only been as far as France…on two day-trips!

Find Elly’s site here: http://www.geocities.com/cfsnova/index.html

I also had an email from my publishers. I think they want me to be a bit more…positive…about the book. Maybe they’re worried that any negativity from me will impact sales? Just want to clarify that I couldn’t be more positive about the book - I just get frustrated that things don’t happen as I’d hoped they would, and that I don’t have enough energy to get things done. I don’t believe that lack of stockists and reviews are a testament to the quality of the story, as I’ve had enough praise to know that people like Paige & Co - I just find it hard to understand why shops, particularly local ones, don’t want the book on the shelves. It isn’t negativity, just ignorance of the book-selling business - I’ve never lied about my lack of knowledge, and will continued to be honest about my trials and tribulations in this blog.

I’m hoping to get a few more things tweaked on the website soon - the lovely Marie is sorting this out for me. I’ve had some good feedback about the website being easy to read and navigate, and this is all down to my wonderful web designer. Thanks, Marie!

Here we go again! That comment about Emily and Canada is back, and is obscuring the window where I type (so excuse any mistakes, please)! Still, the Blog site is free, so I’m getting what I paid for!!! I can’t use bold, italic, underline or the smilies - how on earth will I express myself? Words???

Thought I’d let you know that I’ve been given the opportunity to be the Spotlight Author for the May launch of a brand new website. How exciting is that? I thought I may have missed this chance, due to only just accessing the web form mail (see previous post) but I got a lovely message from Jennifer, the owner of the site, today. I don’t want to give too much away yet, except to say that I was sent a really interesting email interview - it was harder answering those questions than doing my GCSEs… I’ll be giving the site details soon, and I’m sure it will interest the avid readers among you.

Since I found out about Kindred Spirit magazine taking an interest in my story, I’ve realised it’s already familiar to me: it’s advertised in the window of Isis, one of the shops I like in the Metrocentre. Good to know there’s a stockist nearby! I think I’ve also browsed their website some time ago, whilst doing my Massage Diploma course work (or was it in the search for a massage couch???)

Before I go, just wanted to congratulate Mark, who completed the London Marathon on Sunday, raising hundreds of pounds for the Anthony Nolan Trust. Well done!

SORRY.

Can’t apologise enough to those of you who have been good enough to contact me via the Contact form on my website. I have only just been able to gain access, and feel terrible that you have taken the time to get in touch, and not had a response.

Rest assured, I am rectifying that on another screen as I type.

From now on, feel free to contact me via the feedback form, and you will certainly get a response.

And here’s one final SORRY, just so you know. I am. Very.

Hello! This Blog was intended as a ‘recap’ (or the blog equivalent of a clipshow?) but a few new things have cropped up. I’ll do a quick recap first, and keep you waiting for the new info (unless, of course, you scroll down…)

I can’t honestly tell you how the book has been selling - it’s been up and down the Amazon charts like a yo-yo! As you know, it’s still only in two bricks and mortar shops (Henry’s Books and Waterstones - Hexham), so it’ll probably just be bought by people who are specifically looking for it… Perhaps I’ll get paid any royalties in loose change!

I still have no real printed reviews. I’ve got a few mentions on the internet (aside from the Trashionista review that you know about) but these are mainly from people on forums that I belong to. These are generally positive, apart from the one that said Karma was predictable…but I KNEW she was going to say that! Ha, ha! By the way, the competition to win a £15 Amazon voucher is still running: just submit your review for the chance to win. It would be nice (although I realise now that it’s close to impossible) to get a review in a women’s glossy or a national newspaper. We can live in hope…

You’re all well aware that I’ve had little support from local quarters (except Henry’s Books, Waterstones - Hexham and the Sunday Sun) - that theme continues. I’ve had most publicity from sources I’d never anticipated ie ME Essentials, That’s Inspiration, etc. I’ve come into contact with a lot of nice people I would probably never have met, had it not been for the book - so that’s been a positive thing.

At the end of the day, I still don’t feel like I belong in the writing community. I joined several groups, but feel unable to contribute as I am clueless about the business. I feel out of my depth when they talk about PR, agents, promos, workshops, conferences, prizes, BSPs (what the heck is a BSP?), submissions - the list is seemingly endless! Even the so-called ‘newbies’ know more than me.

One thing I’ve never been short of is support…from all sorts of people and places! Hope you all know who you are and how grateful I am. Finally, for this recap, I’ll answer the question I posed in my first ever posting: it’s not impossible for one little tired woman to take on the task of book promotion in a competitive market, but practically impossible!

Now to new things. I was contemplating being in my fourteenth minute of fame, and winding things down when I got some advice from an unexpected source. I got an email from Adele Parks! I’d contacted her as part of my ‘enquiring minds wanna know’ phase a few months ago, and she actually replied - how nice was that? Soon afterwards, I got a call from my publishers saying that the Kindred Spirit magazine may be interested in running a story on me (www.kindredspirit.co.uk). I love alternative and holistic therapies, so I am delighted that they are considering interviewing me for their September/October issue. I began studying to be a Massage Therapist a looonnnnngggg time ago, as I thought that when I was well, I’d be able to start my own business. Maybe it will still happen - who knows???