March 3, 2024
At Christmas, I went to my dear friend’s house for dinner with her extended family including ex-husband, his grown children and grandchild. It was a catered dinner so no one present had to cook. A thoroughly wonderful time together with these folks that I have known for over twenty years now. The gift I received was a nudge from my friend and her step daughter. Time to publish they said. I said how, it is too expensive to self-publish and too time consuming to hunt for an agent or send a manuscript to lots of publishing houses and wait for replies. The daughter told me about a newer way to self-publish using a format called KDP short for Kindle Direct publishing through Amazon.com.
In January, I took a look at this to see if it had potential for the many books and ideas I have carried around both in my head and on paper. It didn’t look too difficult. I decided to begin by writing a simple, fluffy collection of short stories about companion animals I have known. I’ve had companion animals for my whole lifetime staring with the usual pets, dogs and cats, but also other critters. An early remembrance is getting up very early to go outside to find land snails. I liked these strange looking, slimy things that could glide across all kinds of surfaces on their bodies and then tuck their selves into to their shell-I mean how cool is that!
I wrote away all of January compiling my stories and hunting through old photos for ones to feature with their stories. This was not difficult at all. The stories just seemed to flow out of me and onto the computer. All-in-all, I selected 25 or so stories to publish.
On January 17th, I was done except for uploading all of it and designing the front and back cover. I have now published my first book! It is titled, A Chicken of Independent Means and Other Companion Animals I have Known.
Will it make money? I hope so but even if it doesn’t, I did it! It was fun to revisit these stories and their characters. To recall and write about each one, each wholly unique animal and realize how very blessed I am to have crossed paths with each one.
You can find this book on Amazon.com or if nearby to where I currently live, get a copy from me directly. PLEASE write a review after you read my book and place it on Amazon.com The more positive reviews generate a higher visibility position the book gets. Not just stars but actually write about your favorite part or your overall impression.
Will I write more, YES! Stay tuned.
I also have developed a blank journal for all of your own ideas and reflections. I used a photo I took while with the University of Florida research team studying Monarch butterflies on their wintering grounds in the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains at 14,000 ft elevation. We camped there for two incredible weeks. This is also available on Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/
The journal front cover. My photo from wintering Monarch butterflies in Mexico, 1987
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