Liz's Blog

Mistaken Identity

2010-05-11T11:17:00.004-04:00

At my book signing Saturday in the Clearview Mall, I was mistaken 5 times as an information center. First, a couple of teenagers asked me, “Do you have an ATM machine in the mall?” I knew where it was since it was 10 feet in front of me. Second, an elderly lady asked me, “Where are the restrooms?” Third, a gentleman asked me, “Where is the security office?” Fourth, a lady asked me, “Where is the health store located?” Fifth, an elderly gentleman asked me, “Do you carry the mystery novels, “The Hardy Boys.”
Okay! I definitely need something besides a stack of my books on a table, me with my book business cards, and 10 bright orange signs stating, “Help! I Married a Cartoon Character By Liz Lally Book Signing Saturday May 7, 2010 12:00 to 3:00” posted all around me.

Attention-grabber at Book Signings

2010-04-23T16:30:00.000-04:00

Not surprisingly Mr. “Cartoon Character” wants to come up with an attention-grabber to get people interested and approach the table at my book signings. He has suggested balloons, jar of candy, pictures from book, and shirts with the “Cartoon Character on.
I think maybe his presence at the table might help instead of playing with his gadgets in the coffee shop. Does anyone have any suggestion of what to do to get people’s attention?

Book Signing at Northway Mall in Pittsburgh

2010-04-18T17:47:00.003-04:00

I talked to numerous people today at my book signing. Many women expressed that they too had married a cartoon character. Isn’t Tom lucky to have a wife who wrote a whole book about him?
Tom came along to keep me company while I was doing my book signing. Check out the pictures and see how much company he was for me. His cousin was at the baseball game in Pittsburgh a few miles from the bookstore and I think Tom was secretly hoping that he would stop by and keep him company. However I think Tom was the last thing on his cousin’s mind this afternoon.
The Pennsylvania hills never cease to amaze me. I went into Borders and then walked down the hall of the mall, then rode an escalator to the second floor, then rode an escalator to the third floor. While on the third floor I noticed doors at one end of the hallway. I thought, “Why are there doors on the third floor?” As I was thinking this, some people opened the doors and walked through. Now how can you walk into a mall go up to the third floor and walk outside. Only in Pennsylvania.

Book Signing in Butler

2010-04-11T20:37:00.004-04:00

Rocky's Crowd vs Liz's Crowd

My book signing at Clearview Mall was very exciting. The former Steelers Legendary Running Back, Rocky Bleier, was having an autograph session down the hall from the bookstore where I was doing my book signing. People were waiting in line and paying $35 for his autograph. My autograph was the cost of my book and I had no line, however I had a steady flow of people stopping and talking to me about my book. A strange thing, at each of my book signings one person has approached me and asked for my autograph but didn’t buy my book.I wonder at what point I will be getting $35 for my autograph.
I must have blended into the bookstore because four people approached me and asked me questions about books in the bookstore. They thought I worked in the bookstore. I especially enjoyed talking to the elderly gentleman who asked me where the western books were located. I told him I didn’t work in the store and that I was here signing my book, Help! I Married a Cartoon Character. We talked about western books for a while. He was very interesting.

Episodes on U-Tube

2010-04-08T15:40:00.002-04:00

Tom and I must not have enough to do because we came up with the idea of acting out some of the episodes from my book and send them to The Marriage Ref, Ellen, and U-Tube. I write the script and direct and Tom is the cameraman and editor. We only have to do a couple takes since the episodes are issues we act in life on a daily basis. The disputes are never solved they just go on and on. Go to You Tube to see our episodes.

Book Signing at Monaca

2010-04-05T14:03:00.002-04:00

My book signing in the Beaver Valley Mall was a great success. I met many interesting people. I especially enjoy talking to the people who wrote a book and asked me how I published my book.
Many people picked up my book and looked through it, some bought it, and everyone chuckled. I also noticed passer-byes looking over at my book on display, Help! I Married a Cartoon Character and smile. It feels good to put a smile on peoples faces.
I met an interesting young gentleman who talked to me about my book. I told him some of the stories I wrote about. One story in particular was from the chapter, The Romantic, where Tom was going to reach into a dumpster and get me some flowers. I talked to him for awhile about my romantic cartoon character husband then he left. Apparently he understood my perspective about getting flowers from a dumpster because a while later he came back and handed me a bouquet of flowers and said, “These weren’t from a dumpster!” Words can’t explain how I felt at that moment

Book Title

2010-04-02T14:34:00.000-04:00

I am in the process of writing another book and just like my first book Help! I Married a Cartoon Character I am struggling with a title. Again I have written enough stories for three books so I have to pick a title and sort out the stories for the title. One title is The World Through My Eyes, another is Help! I’m Turning Into a Cartoon Character and of course I have enough stories for Help! I Married a Cartoon Character 2. The stories of my cartoon character just keep on happening they never end.

More Book Signings

2010-03-30T12:40:00.000-04:00

After I came home from Texas I called Borders book stores to schedule book signings. The first three Borders I called had openings for signings. If you are in the area come to Borders and visit me at my book signings:
Saturday April 3rd I will be at the Borders Express in the Beaver Valley Mall in Monaca Pa. from 12pm-3pm.
Saturday April 10th I will be at the Borders Express in the Clearview Mall in Butler, Pa. from 1pm-4pm.
Saturday April 17th I will be at Borders in the Northway Mall in Pittsburgh, Pa. from 2pm-4pm.

Editing at Gay Lords

2010-03-29T12:37:00.007-04:00

Two years ago Maureen and I went to the Gay Lords, a resort in Texas, to do the last editing of my book Help! I Married a Cartoon Character, before sending it to my publisher. This March we went back to do my first editing of my next book. Maureen was editing the chapter called MY Golden Years in the courtyard. I took her picture while she was reading the chapter. Check out the golden cowboy in the background.
We made great use of our garage sale money. We drank wine, $75 a bottle and had appetizers for $53. We managed to get the first editing done and do some shopping.

Garage Sale

2010-03-12T18:05:00.003-05:00

Maureen and I had a garage sale. I smuggled a bag of loot for the garage sale in the trunk without Tom knowing. I make $20. I set out some of my books and sold one. Maureen made $90. We took our money to the Gaylord where we edited my new book.

Barnes & Noble Book Signing

2010-03-08T17:48:00.003-05:00

The Cartoon Character and I would like to thank everyone who supported my book signing on March 3rd. We met many interesting people and it was a pleasure talking to them.

Sam Houston Elementary

2010-03-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

I visited some fourth grade classes at the Sam Houston Elementary School in Denton, Texas and I was very impressed with their knowledge of writing. I enjoyed answering their questions concerning editing, publishing and writing. I also read a segment from my book in progress to some of the students and enjoyed their comments.

Book Signing

2010-02-26T21:14:00.000-05:00

I went to Barnes n Nobles where I will be doing a book signing on Wednesday, March 3rd from 4:30pm-7:30pm. I met with the manager and we discussed my book and where I would be doing the signing. http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/3030688

500 Miles

2010-02-22T17:27:00.000-05:00

I learned the hard way to pack a survival kit when traveling with Tom. Our first 500 mile trip 45 years ago was from North Carolina to Sharpsville. It was a non- stop trip in a 56 Chevy. He filled up the gas tank and stopped at a grocery store and bought a pound of bologna, a pack of buns, and a six pack of pop. After a few hours I begged him to stop for lunch but he was full of bologna and wouldn’t stop. By the time we got home I wasn’t speaking to him. I came a long way since that first trip. Before we left Sharpsville for our twelve hundred mile trip to Texas; I packed a survival kit. It consisted of a dozen of oranges, crackers, cheese, protein bars, mixed nuts, water, orange juice, grape juice and vegetable juice. We left Sharpsville on Thursday and arrived at Texas on Saturday afternoon. We are still speaking.

Sharpsville to Denton

2010-02-18T19:53:00.001-05:00

Denton had snow last week which is rare. We will be leaving snow hopefully it will be warmer. The 20 hour drive is the worse part. It will probably take two and a half days. Then book signings, shopping, and dining.

Book Signing in Texas

2010-01-29T08:55:00.000-05:00

Well I’m heading for Texas the end of February to visit my daughter. She decided to schedule me some book signings while I am there. So on March 3rd I will be at the Barnes & Noble in the Denton Mall from 4:30pm-7:30pm. The “Cartoon Character” will be in the book store. Come and see if you can find the “Cartoon Character.”

Liz is Back!

2010-01-28T11:37:00.004-05:00

Liz is Back
Well, I wasn’t going to blog until I received another check from my publisher. Who would have thought 1 year, 9 months and 2 days would pass without another check. Maybe I set my goal too high. Or not!!! My publisher isn’t selling my book with their promotion devices that I paid for with my publishing package. How can I expect to sell my book with my crude strategies?
My publisher sent me an e-mail to display my book at a book fair in Houston, Texas for a fee of $109. I sold no books. Then I displayed my book in Las Vegas at and AARP convention for a fee of $249. I sold no books; however, I received a catalog and my book is on page 26. Check it out.
There’s something wrong with my thinking because I was just as thrilled when I received this catalog in the mail as when I received the check. Maybe that’s the problem! My goals aren’t high enough.

My First Check From a Book Signing.

2008-05-26T12:25:00.005-04:00

Check out my first check from my first book signing at a book store.
This check is from my book signing at Barnes & Noble in Denton, Texas. Their arrangement was for me to bring my own books to the book signing and they would take 20% from my book sales and sent me the rest.
My first book signing experience:
Books Tom purchased while browsing the book store $37.21.
Snacks for Tom and three grandchildren $15.98
Books I bought from my fellow self-published authors $45.47
Book signing celebration at steak house $176.29

My profit from book sales after cost of books and Barnes & Noble’s 20% $20.08

In the red for $254.91

Book signing with family in Texas-- PRICELESS!

My First Royalties From My Publisher

2008-05-20T17:44:00.001-04:00

My publisher posts my royalties for my books they sold on their web site after two months of selling them. I checked their web today and in January I earned $0.00 in royalties. In February I earned $1.79 in royalties and in March I earned $1.79 in royalties. So far I earned a total of $3.58 in royalties. I have direct deposit into my checking account. They pay quarterly. I guess I can wait for my money. Wow! They sure must have done some extensive promoting to have sold two books in four months. I guess I’m on my own for promoting and selling my book!
So far I have three book signings lined up. This Saturday I will be at Borders Express at the Shenango Valley Mall from 12:00-2:00p.m. I have a book signing at the Borders Book Store in Niles on June 14 from 1:00-3:00p.m. I am giving a presentation at the Sharon Library on August 14th at 6:00p.m. in the community room.
Hope to see you Saturday!

My Second Book Signing in a Book Store.

2008-05-19T19:22:00.003-04:00

Check out the display for my book signing on Saturday, May 24th. I have posted flyers around town about my book signing. Thursday a friend of mine and I are going to pass out flyers around my neighborhood. I hope this book signing at Borders Express is as successful as the one I had at the Barnes & Noble in Texas.
Saturday I went to my sister-in-law’s garage sale and set up a table. I sold one book to a friend I worked with when we were teenagers. A few people said they were coming to my book signing on Saturday. This book signing was very similar to the one I had in Texas at Maureen’s garage sale. It was a freezing cold day and I had to wear my winter coat, hat, and gloves.
Come to my book signing at Borders Express in the Shenango Valley Mall on Saturday, May 24th from 12:00-2:00pm.

It Pays to be Persistent

2008-05-14T17:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday after my fourth call to a local book store, I finally got a response. I guess you just have to talk to the right employee (whoever that may be). When I called and said, “I have been calling for a month and just want to know what the dates of your self-published author book signings are and if I could schedule one. I left two messages to the person in charge and she hasn’t returned my calls. Could you find out the dates?” Her response was, “Well this isn’t right someone should have gotten back to you. Give me your information and I will talk to the manager and either the manager or the public relations person will get right back to you. I am sorry for the delay.”
Well this morning at 8:00am I received a call with the information I requested and they are e-mailing me information about the procedure to get my book into the store for sale. I know it’s a long shot for the bookstores to display self-published author’s books on their shelves, but it’s worth a try!

Frustrations of Scheduling a Book Signing.

2008-05-13T15:53:00.001-04:00

When I first pursued calling book stores to request a book signing, I didn’t realize no one would return my calls. First I called a book store and talk to an employee who would say, “We have a special person who takes care of setting up book signings. She or he is not in now. What is the name of your book? What is your phone number? She or he will call you.” After a week I would call again and repeat the same conversation I had the week before. Then I wait another week and call again this time I ask, “When will they be in the store?” Then they give me their cell phone number or voice mail number. I call and leave my message and wait another week and call again and leave another message.
I called the Barnes & Noble in the area and left two voice mail messages in the past month and she has not returned my calls. They have two book signings a year for self-published authors and I was inquiring about them.
The only book stores that I had no problem scheduling a book signing so far was at the Barnes & Noble in Denton, Texas and the Borders Express at the Shenango Valley Mall. I had no problem getting through to the person in charge. My book signing at the Borders Express is Saturday May, 24 at 12:00-2:00PM. If you are in the area stop by and see me. All the information that I have read about scheduling book signings say, “Just keep calling!”

Home from Texas

2008-05-12T19:10:00.002-04:00

My book signing in Texas was a huge success. A special thanks to everyone who supported me.

I met many interesting people. It still amazes me how many people are interested in writing a book with thoughts of one day publishing it, but never pursue it. Maureen told me of a friend of hers that bought my book in December. After she read my book, she told Maureen that I inspired her to write her stories. She sent one of her stories to a magazine and won a contest. This gave her more confidence to write more. She had always had in the back of her mind to write children’s books. She had many ideas but never pursued writing.
I have been busy setting up book signings around town. My first is at Borders Express at the Shenango Valley Mall on May 24, from 12:00-2:00pm. Then on June 14th from 1:00-3:00pm I will be signing books at Borders located at 2102 Niles-Courtland Road in Niles, Ohio.

Garage Sale Book Sales.

2008-03-25T17:13:00.002-04:00

Book Signing, Texas in March is a little cold.

Garage sales are definitely not the way to go to sell books! My expectations of selling books at a garage sale were right since everyone who came was looking for a bargain. In fact, many people would offer a lower price than what was on the already low priced items. But, Maureen still had some neighbors and friends who didn’t buy my book yet so I set up just in case one of them passed by. However, none did!! This is my first adventure of no sales!

My Next Selling Adventure.

2008-03-18T15:11:00.000-04:00

My next adventure in book selling will be Saturday at a neighbor of Maureen’s garage sale. I will be setting up a card table in her garage. This will be interesting since most people who attend garage sales are looking for bargains and I am not ready to discount my book yet. If you are in the area of Lake Country Drive in the Sundown Ranch Community in Denton, Texas. Stop by and see us!

The Big Day Finally Arrived!

2008-03-16T19:56:00.005-04:00

Maureen and Liz at the book signing. The Cartoon Character and Liz.

Preparing for the Book Signing

Friday I took my books to Barnes & Noble and met with the manager. He gave me some pointers on how to greet the customers. He suggested that I approach the customers and introduce myself and say something to the effect, “Hi! I am Liz. I am the author of “Help! I Married a Cartoon Character” and I will be signing books for the next couple of hours. You should really read this book because:” I asked him, “Why?”He said, “You know.” The problem is the book covers so many situations that I don’t know how to describe it in a couple of sentences. However, Maureen’s friends who have read the book say, “We appreciate our husbands more than ever after reading the book.”
I guess I should practice my book pitch before I go to the book signing. I am not good at being spontaneous. I usually think things through before going into a new situation. This is certainly going to be a challenge with all the different personalities I will come in contact with. This new technique is making me step out of my comfort zone. At my other book signings, I just sat and my relatives and friends of course approached me. They knew what the book is about since I have been keeping them posted about the books progress for the last 2 years.

My Experience at the Book Signing

The book signing was a huge success! The area where I signed books had balloons and signs with my name on. I really enjoyed talking to the other self published authors. It was quite an experience approaching the public. I got many different reactions from the people I approached; however most were pleasant. I particularly enjoyed talking to a gentleman who asked questions about my publishing, my style of writing, and which word processor I used to write my book.
The book signing was coming to an end and I still had not sold a book to a complete stranger. All the books I sold were to Maureen’s friends. I thought I sold a book to a stranger in December but it turned out to be my granddaughter’s friend. I didn’t recognize the last name. My book has been out for 4 months and I still have not sold a book to a stranger. Everyone is a relative, a friend of a relative, a friend, or a friend of a friend.
We were getting ready to pack up when the manager came over and asked, “Well! How did you do?” I said, “Okay! But it doesn’t count. Everyone that bought a book from me was a friend of my daughter. I haven’t sold a book to a stranger yet.” He turned and walked over to the counter and picked up the microphone and announced, “The author Liz Lally will be walking around the store with her book. She has not sold a book to a stranger yet so she will be approaching you and explaining to you why you should buy her book.” I was mortified! But my daughter grabbed my arm and said, “Let’s go!” So I picked up a book and started looking for a potential buyer. We came upon a couple gentlemen who didn’t look too threatening. I started giving them my sales pitch and while they were squirming a lady came up behind me and started talking to my daughter so I left the men off the hook and diverted my attention the woman. However, she was interested in a book for her niece’s birthday party. I said, “This is not a children’s book.” Then she said, “My sister is floating around here somewhere and she just said, “I am looking for a book to read this weekend.” So we followed her around looking for her sister. Finally, we found her sister and I gave her my sob story of never selling a book to a stranger and then I gave her my rehearsed sales pitch. She looked at the book and said, “Okay, I’ll buy it!” We all cheered! Than the manager brought over the balloons and took our picture. I took her name and address for when I am famous and go on Oprah. I will invite her to go with me. Since they were having a party that night the manager gave them the balloons for their party.

The first stranger to buy my book.

Denton Record-Chronicle article!

2008-03-13T16:53:00.001-04:00

Wow! Check out this great article! I made the big time! Another “Ten Minutes of Fame!” I am going to buy more newspapers because I am sure my family would like a copy of the article from the newspaper

Check this out!

2008-03-12T16:58:00.002-04:00

This sign is located at the entrance of the Barnes & Noble book store in the Golden Triangle Mall! How cool is that! I walked around the store and the other entrance and found six similar signs. I first noticed the signs on Tuesday when we were shopping at the mall. My book signing is Saturday. I go to the mall everyday and admire my signs. I am really enjoying every moment of “My Ten Minutes of Fame.”
These signs are special because they are the first signs that someone else made to promote my book. Tom has made all the signs and flyers we used up until now.

Promoting Barnes & Noble Book Signing.

2008-03-11T14:59:00.001-04:00

My sister-in-law notified the staff of a firm that she works at in Dallas about Saturday’s book signing. Maureen sent an e-mail to all the staff at her school and tomorrow she is taking a flyer to Curves.

I went to Starbucks and Panera and posted a flyer on their bulletin board about my book signing. We called and sent letters to relatives and friends in the Denton area.

We are waiting to hear from a coffee shop in Dallas and a bookstore in Lewisville.
I am starting to get excited about the book signing. It is my first book signing at a book store.

Denton, Texas Snowstorm in March.

2008-03-09T19:31:00.001-04:00

My book signing scheduled at the school library Friday was cancelled since the school was closed due to a snow storm. Who would think that Denton, Texas would get seven inches of snow in March? I will do that book signing later in the month after spring break.
We didn’t cancel the wine and cheese book signing at Maureen’s house since the snow was melted off the roads by noon. The book signing was a success and I enjoyed meeting Maureen’s friends. I read a story from the chapter titled The Romantic and Maureen read her favorite story from that chapter. In a couple of weeks we are going to get together and have a Book Club and talk about my book.

Confirming Book Signing at Library

2008-03-04T15:25:00.000-05:00

I went to Maureen’s classes and talked a little about the process of writing my book. They asked many interesting question. Following are some of their questions: “Why did you write a book?” “How long did it take you to write your book?” “What is your book about?” “Is your husband mad because you wrote the book?” “When are you going to write another book?”

I enjoyed talking to the students and I am looking forward to meeting the teachers and some of the parents at my book signing in the school library Friday.

Confirming Book Signing at Barnes & Noble.

2008-03-03T14:22:00.001-05:00

Saturday I went to Barnes & Noble to meet with the Community Relations Manager to firm up my book signing. When I walked into the store there was a man walking with a hand full of signs. He asked me if he could help me and I said, “I am looking for Thomas, the Manager, and he said, “That’s me!” So I said, “Hi! I am Liz Lally.” As he put down the signs to shake my hand, I noticed my name on them. We talked for awhile and he showed me where the book signing would be set up and reminded me to bring my books in the day before the book signing on Friday the 14th.

He suggested that I take a press release to the local newspaper and gave me the names of a couple people to talk to about my book.

Later Maureen said, “That was definitely a sign! What are the odds of the first person you meet in Barnes & Noble being the manager you wanted to talk to and he is carrying signs with your name on about the book signing.” “A sign of what,” I thought!

If you are in the area come to my book signing on March 15th from 2:00-4:00 at Barnes & Noble in the Golden Triangle Mall
2201 1-35 East South Space NO18
Denton, Texas 76205
940-383-9261
Or
Go to my web site http://www.lizlally.com

Selling My Book

2008-02-29T16:38:00.001-05:00

The next stage of my book experience is selling my book and it is just as difficult as I expected. In December I had two book signings and sold books to all of our relatives, friends, their relatives and friends. The first of January I sent a mailing about my book to everyone in our graduating class of 1961. Since Tom and I graduated together we thought we would get a good response from our class.
Now I am taking the big step of attempting to sell to strangers. I need to find a way to find the book readers outside my circle of friends and relatives. I am starting to write my blog again. I read that this is a good way to sell books.
I am going to focus on book signings now and see how this goes. Currently I am in Texas visiting my daughter and I have five book signings lined up. I will see how this goes.

My computer went on the blink.

2008-01-10T15:13:00.000-05:00

About a month ago my computer started beeping and blinking on and off. Then it wouldn’t start up so now I can’t Blog from my easy chair. I am using the desk top computer and have to stay in one place.
I am getting some comments from people who read my book. Here are some comments:
“That was a great book.”

“I really enjoyed your book. It was hilarious. I remember the skunk in your cellar and Dave and Tom coming to the legion. And your insurance would have covered it I would have killed him. And that golf trip and you meeting up with Fred. I knew right away what priest you were talking Terry oh he was someone to fear. That was hilarious. I always wondered why you stayed married to Tom. I want a hard copy signed and I will put it away for my great grandchildren to read. I’m giving this book to my friend to read.

“Your book was great! I especially liked the story on gadgets and I can relate with repairs it took me two years to paint a railing black and white. The way you wrote your book and followed through to the end shows that you are a close family. I liked the way youexpressed where your kids are now. You have found your nitch. If you write another book call me I will buy it.”

“At one of my book signings a man was browsing through the book and started laughing hysterically. After he composed himself I asked him what he was laughing at and he said, “When he leaned against the closet door and fell in. I do that all the time.”
“I liked the part where Lal had you go first if there was any danger.”

“I liked the part where you accidentally bumped Tom’s latest golf injury when you walked out of the room.”

“I really liked your book especially the chapter on old age it’s nice to know other people do the same things I do. It has to feel really strange to be driving along and not know where you are going. I liked where you get Tom back by changing the silverware drawer I do that to my husband and it really does relieve tension.

I sold my 100th Book.

2008-01-04T11:08:00.000-05:00

I mailed out my 100th paperback book yesterday and I sold 35 hard back books. I am still wondering how many books I have to sell to be included on the best seller list. Also, at what point do I become a famous author.
I was really excited last week when someone ordered a book and it was not a relative or a friend of a relative or a friend or a friend of a friend. I questioned everyone and no one knew this person. A stranger ordered my book! The word is getting out about my book.
Since I self published I have to promote and sell my book myself this takes me way out of my comfort zone.

I’m back!

2008-01-01T18:51:00.000-05:00

For the past month, I was feeling exhausted from the publishers requesting another paragraph for the paperback cover, the hardback and the web site. And the editing seemed endless. Finally, my book was published.
Then I was reluctant to hand over my books to people who wanted to purchase them. I felt like a mother who was sending her child to school for the first time.
My sister-in-law had a wine and cheese book signing for me at Jess’s restaurant on December 15, 2007. My daughter flew in from Texas and many of our relatives and friends attended. It was a huge success and I was excited to visit with friends that I hadn’t seen for awhile.
My brother’s wife arranged a book signing on December 22, 2007 at Once Again Boutique where she works. I enjoyed talking to the customers and signing books for them.

The word is spreading.

2007-11-23T17:06:00.000-05:00

The word is finally getting out around town about my book. My two best promoters so far are my nephew and granddaughter. When I visited my brother my nephew asked me if I would go to school and talk on career day about being an author. My granddaughter gave her teacher a business card with my book information. The teacher asked her if I would come in and talk to the class about my book.
My books will be arriving soon so I started to plan a few book signings. My sister-in-law is working on a press release. Tom has my web site set up for taking orders and shipping them to you when you make an order. We have some orders and as soon as the books come in we will ship them. Others want to pick their books up at the book signings.

The book is ready to order.

2007-11-18T17:05:00.000-05:00

Finally, the book is finished! “Help! I Married a Cartoon Character” is being printed currently. I expect my first shipment of books in a couple of weeks.
The publishers determined the cost of my book. The Hard Cover is $23.95 and the Paperback is $13.95. I am offering a numbered Hard Cover book for $28.95 for a limited time. Go to my web site and order a book today! http://lizlally.com It would make a great Christmas gift.
My very first order was from my best friend of many years. She ordered 4 Hard Back books.
This book selling is also getting a little dangerous. Last night, Tom and I went to a wedding reception. Their theme was western and there was a bucking bull by the dance floor for the daring to ride. A friend came over to me and said, “I will buy 5 books if you ride the bull!” I said, “No, I don’t think so!” She was persistent, “Come on 5 books! Right now I will buy 5 books!” I must admit that I was tempted.

In production.

2007-11-02T17:25:00.000-04:00

I checked the web of my publisher and my book is finally in production. Now I just have to wait. My work is done. I guess it’s time to get serious about advertising. My publishing plus package includes a marketing workbook and kit, but I’m not sure when I will be getting it. I am going to E-mail them Monday and find out. I could read it now since I know absolutely about advertising.

Proof stage is complete!

2007-10-31T15:18:00.000-04:00

Well, I just pushed the send button and accepted the Proofreaders corrections, the cover, and sent my corrections. This completes the proof stage. My chance to make corrections has now passed. I think it’s time to celebrate!

The book is going to production! Time for a
glass of chardonnay! This is where it all started!

Reconsidering the cover copy!

2007-10-28T17:00:00.000-04:00

After I posted the pictures of the cover the publishers made and the cover that Tom was working on, I received E-mail from some readers of my Blog. It appears they like the cover the publishers made.
Tom made a copy of the cover on photo paper and it looks better than on regular paper. I have gotten past the publishers not notifying me that they couldn’t make the pictures into cartoons. It’s time to move on!
Now, my focus is on advertising. The publishers feel the cover is very important in selling books. Now, what cover will attract people browsing through the humor section to purchase my book? Here are some comments I have received on the publishers book cover. “I don’t like it!” “It’s too busy!” “It’s too dark!” “It’s great!” “I love it!” “It’s perfect!” “You have to use this cover!” Now I don’t know which direction to go, since the publishers can’t make the photos into cartoon pictures for the cover.
I would really appreciate your opinion. Tom posted three book covers. Would you please E-mail me liz@lizlally.com and tell me which cover you think is the best for advertising and attracting people to buy my book? Or do you have any suggestions I could use for the cover?

A. The publisher's cover...........B. Tom's cover............................C. Tom altered publisher's cover

Just chilling!

2007-10-27T15:36:00.000-04:00

Well, today I am finishing my fall cleaning, since I can’t move on with my book until I hear from the Editorial Board. I am working on my lists of who to call, E-mail, or send a mailing for advertising my book. Many people tell me E-mail is the best way to go, but I don’t have the E-mail of most of the people. I often heard people say, “My E-mail is piling up; I haven’t read it yet.” As far as mailing, someone said to me, “What will make your mail any different than any other junk mail they get? Also, I have been told that this Blog is a good source of advertising.
Tom is trying on his vest with 42 pockets. He is so excited he found two more pockets he didn’t know he had. He is putting gadgets in and out of the pockets. I think he wants to see which pocket works best for each gadget. (I’m just guessing!) I stopped asking about his gadgets long ago. I just don’t understand the need for them. You will have to read my book to learn more about how Tom’s gadgets evolved. Why he needs so many gadgets is a mystery to me. I devoted a whole chapter to Tom and his gadgets.

Waiting to hear from the Editorial Board.

2007-10-26T20:33:00.000-04:00

I received an E-mail from the Editorial Board my Publishing Service Associate forwarded my E-mail about my concerns of my Proofreading. I am waiting to hear from them. Hopefully they will correct the mistakes.
I understand that I have to go over the book and check if there are any mistakes the Proofreader missed. However, he never addressed the punctuation. I left that up to him since I am not too sure where and when to insert commas. I paid the Proofreader by the word so he should have looked at every word.
Tom and I plan to work on the cover this weekend. I have to pick colors and he is still working on the photos to make them look more like cartoons.

MY FIRST MELT DOWN!!!

2007-10-25T16:54:00.000-04:00

The more I looked at the cover of my book; the more anxious I got. They only have one more shot at getting my cover like I envision it. Then, I have to pay extra for anything else they do. And they are NOT understanding what I envision! I sent two photographs and asked them to change them into cartoons and put them on the cover. Well, they took the photos and blurred and darkened them. Then put them on the cover. It does not look good!
I called my contact girl about my concerns and she said what I think is a cartoon and what they think is a cartoon may be different. Apparently! I am afraid to send anything else because I can’t communicate with them so they just do what they think I think.
I thought they would be in touch with me before they worked on the cover. However, they do the cover once. Send it. I accept or reject. Then they do another. If I reject, I pay for another. I would like to E-mail or talk to someone in that department to make sure that what they think and what I think is the same! But, I guess that’s not how the publishing works.
As for the Proofreader, I took a good look at the manuscript in book form and there are still many punctuation mistakes. I paid a Line Editor to go over my manuscript. She addressed my sentence fragments, dangling participles and other grammar mistakes. After she finished, there were still minor typos and punctuation mistakes so I paid for a Proofreader and thought he would correct the commas and typos. But he didn’t address the punctuation at all. I also found other mistakes he should have addressed. So, I called my contact girl again and she said someone should have checked the book after the Proofreader sent it back. She asked me to E-mail some sentence examples and they will check if there is a pattern.
So, I am waiting to hear about the Proofreading. Tom is working on a cover for my book and so far it looks great. We have mixed emotions about doing my cover because I am paying for the primer plus publishing package and experts in the field are suppose to be working WITH ME on my cover. Apparently what they think working WITH ME and what I think working WITH ME is also different. I thought they would communicate WITH ME before making the actual cover. I don’t understand why they couldn’t E-mail me and say, “This is what we are working on for your cover? Is this blurry, dark, ugly cover what you had in mind? What do you think?” Then I would TELL THEM EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT OF THE COVER AND EXPLAIN WHAT A CARTOON LOOKS LIKE!!! Then the experts would know how to design my cover.
Now, I have to reject the cover. Then I guess I have two options: I can send the cover Tom is working on and hope they understand it or I can tell them to design a cover and hope for the best.

..........Expert,s Cover. ..................Cover Tom is working on.....

Cover and Proofreading are complete.

2007-10-23T16:52:00.000-04:00

My publisher sent the cover and the Proofreader’s corrections to accept or reject. The corrections of the Proofreader are okay however, I’m not quite satisfied with the front cover. It’s not what I envisioned for the cover. It’s too dark and busy. I have a friend and classmate who is an artist; I think I will give her a call and explain to her what I envision for the cover. Hopefully she can capture my thoughts.
Well Tom read my Blog. As he was reading it, I noticed him smiling and he looked over at me and just shook his head. Gosh, “that was easy” I should have taken over half of his room.

Post Product Editorial Service.

2007-10-22T14:28:00.000-04:00

I checked the status of my book again on my publishers’ web site and it is in Post Product Editorial Service. I think this means it is being Proofread.
I didn’t Blog for a few days because I was a little busy. Tom went out of town so this was my chance to do what my friends and I call “The Ten Minute Rule!” The Rule is after he leaves you wait Ten Minutes just in case he forgot something and comes back. Then after Ten Minutes you start your projects. This Rule prevents all the hassle and comments from them whenever we want to make a home improvement. I explain this Rule more in my book.
This time I converted half of the spare room into an office for me so I can package all my books for mailing when the orders come rolling in. Then I took over a third of his computer room for my book information, my TWO briefcases, my computer, my plant, and other important stuff. He has been home for a day and hasn’t noticed the spare room rearranged with the added tables and shelves. I am sitting in my third of the computer room typing my Blog and he is sitting at his desk. He looked over at me and made a comment, “You are spending a lot of time in here lately.” If history repeats itself it will take a few days for him to notice my stuff and realize my invasion. Unless of course he reads my Blog; I suspect sometimes he just posts my Blog and doesn’t always read it. Well I will know in a few minutes if he reads my Blog.

A way to advertise my book or not.

2007-10-16T16:16:00.000-04:00

I am still waiting to hear from my publishers! Yesterday a lady called and offered me a space on a placemat. Popular restaurants in the area will use the placemats. She said it is a circulation of around 80,000 I’m not sure this is a way to advertise my book. I usually just glance at the advertising on placemats. The cost is around $600 for a year. I told her I needed time to think about this offer so she will call back on Friday.
My publisher will send me a marketing success workbook and marketing toolkit which includes a set of templates for creating my own press release, sell sheet, event sign, post card, business card, poster and Web site banner ad. I guess this covers everything. I suppose I will wait until I receive these marketing items before I try other ways of advertising.

Promoting my book, business cards again.

2007-10-14T16:24:00.000-04:00

While I’m waiting to hear from my publisher, Tom printed out some more business cards. I decided to try this approach to sell my book one more time. We went to the local tavern and ran into a few friends. They asked, “How is your book coming along?” So this was my cue to pass out the business cards. Someone approached me that overheard our conversation and was very interested in my book so I talked to her for about twenty minutes and gave her a business card.
Yesterday I ran into a friend and gave her a card and said, “Check out my Blog.” She said, “What’s a Blog?” I still haven’t figure out how this Blog will sell books. Then I ran into a classmate at the grocery store and she was on her way to a party so she took some cards to pass out. However, she said, “I don’t do the computer or E- mail just call me when your book is published.” So she won’t be checking out my web page or Blog. Maybe the web site and blog isn’t the way to promote my book. However, Tom thinks this is the way to go. I think there are many people who don’t use the computer or E-mail out there.Tom won’t give out a card unless it comes up in a conversation so he hasn’t given out any cards yet. In his circle of friends who is going to say, “Hey is anyone’s wife publishing a book?”

Current Status.

2007-10-11T18:23:00.000-04:00

I just checked the progress of my book on my publisher’s web site and the:
Current Status: In Production.
It’s been 9 days since my book went into production. All I can do now is wait!

Pictures don't lie.

2007-10-10T15:40:00.000-04:00

I’ve been busy checking over my manuscript again. After the Proofreader corrects mistakes, I am allowed 50 changes. After that I have to pay for the changes. They consider every push of the keys a change. Hopefully, the Proofreader does a good job because I don’t want to waste my 50 changes on typos. So far all the services of publishing my book have done a great job.
I put pictures in the center of the book to help you visualize some of the stories. I was looking over the pictures and for the first time I took a good look at the first and last picture. The first picture is Tom and I standing in front of his 1956 Chevy when we were 19 years old and the last picture is Tom and I standing in front of our 2006 Cadillac a couple months ago. We tried to do the same pose in front of the car but it was impossible. Did you notice how narrow the cars are today compared to cars in 1956?
I put the two pictures side by side and now I realize why classmates that I haven’t seen for awhile didn’t recognize me. I always felt a little perturbed when I had to introduce myself to someone that I hung around with eight hours a day for twelve years.

Who would have thought we would change from this to this in just 45 years!!

Just one more thing

2007-10-06T18:17:00.000-04:00

I bought my own briefcase to make sure it would hold all the things I needed. I guess I do have one more thing to say about my miniature briefcase gift from Tom. I found a use for it. I decided to put my business cards in it.
This week I plan to do fall cleaning and decorate for Halloween. Also, outside I need to finish cleaning the garage, deck, and yard for the winter weather because once my book is published I am giving my promotion 110% of my time and energy. I’m not sure what that will entail yet. I have already hounded, threatened, and bribed my relatives and friends to buy my book. However, when I approach acquaintances and strangers my sales pitch will have to be a little more tactful, I am sure!

My two briefcases!

My book is currently in production.

2007-10-05T09:57:00.000-04:00

I E-mailed my publisher about the minor mistakes I found in my manuscript when I read it over the other day. She informed me that the designers are creating both the interior and the cover files for my book. Once the proofs have been created they will send them to the Proofreader which can take 2-3 weeks. Once that service is complete they will send me the Proofreader’s proof form and offer up to 50 corrections on my own proof form.I told Tom I needed a briefcase for just my book information since its getting close to being completed. I want to put the important papers that I have to address in one spot and be able to carry it around wherever I go. Well, I was sitting in the living room and Tom came in and said, “Here this is for you.” He gave me a briefcase. Check out the pictures at the end of this blog and see the briefcase my husband gave me. I have nothing more to say about the briefcase. It is just another story in my life of being married to a cartoon character. After you read my book, you will understand why I find this gift from Tom not in the least bit unusual. The gifts from Tom just keep coming!

My briefcase, a gift from Tom.

Filling my briefcase with papers from my publisher.

Going to the coffee shop with my briefcase.

Why this book took two years plus in the making.

2007-10-04T14:27:00.000-04:00

It has been exactly two years and one month since I seriously started writing this book. I chose the title “Help! I Married a Cartoon Character” and decided on the form of my name Liz Lally as my author name. Over the last two years I changed the title three times. I have gone through a whirlwind of emotions while writing this book. I would write a story and that story would trigger memories and I would go off on a tangent. Then I would write another story and it would send me off writing in another direction on another tangent. I finally had enough material for three books. I kept changing the title to accommodate the tangents that I went down. Finally I needed to regroup so I went over the book with Lora and Maureen and they helped me get back on track. So I came full circle and am back with my title “Help! I Married a Cartoon Character” and Liz Lally as my author name.
I arranged the material that I wrote over the past two years into three categories:
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. This book is The Good!

Polished Cover Copy

2007-10-03T16:31:00.000-04:00

My publishers sent my polished cover copy back yesterday to approve. I didn’t check my E-mail until after I posted my Blog. Wow, they took my information and nailed exactly what I wanted to say by adding a few adjectives, adverbs, and verbs and some other suggestions. I immediately approved their suggestions. I think the next step is the illustrations for the front cover.
Here is a sentence from my book cover: These are the sometimes perplexing, usually hilarious, always endearing antics of a true American character---and the wife who loves him anyway.I went to the coffee shop with Tom and decided to go over my manuscript one more time for mistakes. I ran into a friend and since Tom had a couple cards, I passed out my second card with my book information.

Betty Bloging

2007-10-03T10:25:00.000-04:00

Bloging at the coffee shop.

Cover Copy Progress

2007-10-02T17:31:00.000-04:00

Today I’m wondering if the publishers are working on my cover or if it is on someone’s desk. My publisher E-mailed a couple weeks ago and said that they merged with a couple other publishers. I wonder if that is a good idea or not. Is it better to be a small publishing company or a large one? I suppose there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Since I am new to this business, I don’t have a clue.
I found a couple mistakes in my manuscript yesterday. I wonder if the proof reader will find them.

Promoting on hold.

2007-10-01T16:11:00.000-04:00

I changed my mind about making a flyer and decided to forget the promoting until I get the book published. I bought the premier plus publishing package and an advertising kit is included so I’ll wait until I get that and go from there. But I don’t understand how writing a Blog will sell my book when the only people who know about it is who I tell and I could just say, “Do you want to buy my book.” Anyway, my publisher’s newsletter said they do so I will keep on blogging.
I spent most of today reading my manuscript and checking for more grammar mistakes while waiting patiently for my cover to be completed. I read 55,673 words. I know exactly how many words because my publisher charges me by the word to edit my manuscript.

Promoting my book, business cards.

2007-09-30T19:14:00.000-04:00

Well today I gave out a total of 1 card about my book information. I had plenty of opportunity at church and at the coffee shop to pass out my cards and promote my book but I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. I wouldn’t have given out this one card if the person hadn’t said to me, “I heard you wrote a book.” Stepping out of the comfort zone of my family and friends was a little harder than I anticipated. Even though my friends make comments about my book they will be there for me and will buy a copy. Their comments prepared me a bit for future rejection. Even the friend who said, “Who the *#****## wants to read a book about Lal.” He said about a month ago I’ll buy a book but I’m not going to any wine and cheese book signing. I don’t like wine.” I’m sure he will be there. I still have some time to change his mind.
I have never liked being the center of attention. I belonged to organizations and worked on many committees and had great ideas and suggestions but I always avoided the speaking and such and stayed in the background.
I got other people to pass out my cards. Again I managed to stay in the background. My mother in law and sister in law came over for a visit and I gave each of them a pile to pass out. Then I called my daughter and gave her a pile to pass out. All the cards are gone.I think I will work on a flyer and hang it in the post office and the coffee shop and where ever. I’m not ready for this one on one promoting outside of my family and friends.

Promoting my book.

2007-09-29T17:11:00.000-04:00

Well I decided to get serious about promoting my book while I wait for my cover to be completed. I am stepping way out of my comfort zone! I have never liked to sell things and ask people if they wanted to buy something. When my kids sold things for fund raisers I bought their share instead of having them bother friends and relatives. I have eaten more fund raising pop corn, candy bars, and nuts than I care to mention. I have tons of wrapping paper, Christmas cards, and I could light a candle everyday for the next twenty years.
It took 6 months of Tom encouraging me to finally start this Blog. According to recent reports this is suppose to be the new and upcoming way to promote your book.
My family and all of our relatives that I have talked about the book with support me. But some of our close friends are a different story. For the last year I have been asking our very close friends of many years if they would buy a book I was writing and some of their reactions were: “Who the *#***## wants to read a book about Lal?” “What could you possibly write a book about?” “Why do you want to write a book?” “Who cares about what you did.” “How long is the book going to be? I don’t like to read big books.” These are the comments from the people who love me. What are the people going to say who don’t really know me? For awhile I was crushed but now I am a little better at accepting rejection.
A while back when I sent articles to magazines, I told a friend of mine when we were shopping at the book store. Later she pointed to a book and said, “You better buy this book.” The title was “How to Accept Rejection” The magazines sent back my articles with a note saying this isn’t what we are looking for.Tom made business cards with my book title and information about my web page and Blog. I will give these to friends and acquaintances when I run into them.

Cover count down

2007-09-28T16:33:00.000-04:00

Well, I’m counting days again. It has been 1 week and 3 days since they started working on my cover. They said it would take 3 to 5 weeks to complete my cover. A part of me is expecting an E-mail from them saying my pictures for the cover are a little harsh on Tom and I should chose a picture that showed some of his charm. I should have informed them in advance that Tom picked out one of the pictures for the cover. In fact when I was writing the book, Tom reminded me about some stories that I had forgotten about. All of the stories in my book have his sign of approval.

It’s all about the Name or is it?

2007-09-27T12:16:00.000-04:00

This is my birth name Elizabeth Jane Wolfe. I was named after my grandmothers. I have grandma Eiler’s middle name Elizabeth and grandma Wolfe’s middle name Jane. I cringe at the thought of mom naming me their first names instead of their middle names. I would have been named Hilda Cora Wolfe. Anyway, when I married I became Elizabeth Jane Lally.
I have been practicing writing my name for my book signing. I have it down to two forms of my name and I am pondering over which name to put on my book cover. I thought Liz Lally would be catchy and it kind of flows when I write it. However Elizabeth Jane Lally has a hint of sophistication. But I never heard anyone ever describe me as being sophisticated. Should I add a little sophistication to my personality and be Elizabeth or should I be my humorous self and be Liz? My name and personality has gone through stages of change and development and I want my author name to illustrate this new part of my life.
I have been called a lot of names in my lifetime and not all of them I care to mention. However I am mostly called Betty. When I was a child everyone in my neighborhood called me Betty Jane and they still do to this day. When I was in the sixth grade my friends and I decided to change our names so I became Bess. Around this time the boys started to get a little obnoxious and tease us girls and since my last name was Wolfe they would howl like a wolf to get my attention. In ninth grade we decided we needed another name change so I became Bet. Then we thought it would be cool to call each other by our initials so I became BJ. In our senior year we decided we needed one more name change so I became Liz. At work and at Penn State I was called Elizabeth. After I married Tom some of our friends called me Lal.
When I started to write my book I felt like Liz should be my name but now that my book is almost finished I’m not sure how I want my name on the cover of my book.
Now which name should I put on the cover of my book?
Elizabeth Jane Lally or Liz Lally.

Does color really make a difference?

2007-09-26T16:48:00.000-04:00

Today I am wondering about what colors they will use to make my cover. Will they suggest colors or will I pick out the colors I like? What color makes a best selling book?
My book is a humorous book. Is there a color used for humor? What about romance novels, murder mysteries, religious books, or how to books is there a color for each or do they just randomly pick a color. Does it really make a difference?
Some people have spent much time studying colors and how they affect people. Tom was telling me just the other day about an article he read about the different colors and what mood they were suppose to put you in. But I have my doubts about this theory because when I’m happy, angry, sad, disgusted, ambitious or lazy color has nothing to do with my mood. I could go in and out of all the colors in the rainbow and still be happy, angry, sad, disgusted, ambitious or lazy. Many other factors enter into my mood and color is not one of them. Especially when I’m in my romantic mood it’s usually dark and I have my glasses off so I couldn’t see a color even if I had too. However, if anyone has a tip on a color that will put people in a mood to buy my book; let me know. I’m open for suggestions. Just what color could that be?

Cover Copy Polish

2007-09-25T17:03:00.000-04:00

I sent my manuscript in for the third time and the next step for it is to be proofread before publication. Now they are working on the cover of my book. This should take three to five weeks. I sent in two pictures and hope they can convert them into cartoons and put them on the cover. Tom picked out one picture and I picked out another one. Hopefully they will accomplish what I envision. Tom has approved everything I have written and does all the technical part of my preparation for publishing. I don’t know why the editors have commented; “Does Tom know you wrote this?” everyone seems concerned about poor Tom. What about me? The person that lives with this cartoon character and his Lally Logic.

The line edit is complete!

2007-09-24T11:52:00.000-04:00

While I was typing my blog on Tuesday my publisher was sending me my edited manuscript. It took exactly two weeks and two days for my line edit. When I took a close look at the manuscript and all the instructions to go to the words view, toolbar, review, tools, track, changes, accept, or reject I became a little overwhelmed. My whole low-tech being immediately went into overload and shut down. I have never clicked on these words before. They are at the top of the screen. I only used tools before to check my spelling.
It took me a whole day to settle down. Every page was filled with red lines pointing out grammar mistakes. I did not even know that I was so grammatically ignorant! I started to wonder if I was the only one who was lacking in this area so every time I came upon a friend I questioned them about their knowledge of dangling participles, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and past perfect tense. And in my circle of friends not one knew what I was talking about. They just gave me a blank look and said, “What?” I guess out there somewhere people will be bothered by my dangling participles along with my editors so I will make the corrections. Especially when my book is a best seller and I’m a famous author I guess I want to be grammatically correct. I just hope they don’t want me to be correct in other areas. I thank it’s a little late for me to go to charm school.
This editor also felt that I was a little harsh on Tom and wanted me to portray him as a little more charming. I already sprinkled the book with some of Tom’s charm when the evaluation made this same suggestion, but apparently not enough. So this was the hold up of my editing and getting back to my blog I was painstakingly trying to sprinkle some of Tom’s charm throughout the book again. They don’t understand that finding Tom’s charm is like finding a needle in a haystack!
Tom said I could push one button and accept the changes instead of addressing one at a time after I addressed the comments by the line editor. Thank goodness!
Today I am grateful that Tom has a room full of the latest high-tech gadgets. He has the latest technology in computers and knows how to use all the programs. I devoted a whole chapter to Tom and his gadgets in my book. Technology is another area where Tom and I are complete opposites. He has to be on the cutting-edge-of-high-technology and I am as low as I can go in technology.
To anyone out there reading my blog who cares about dangling participles and the such, I apologize! I am overwhelmed in the grammatically correct area. I tried but there are too many rules! I will leave that to my editors.

Liz is conquering Grammar!

Liz is defeated by Grammar!
Liz has left the building!

Autumn Leaves

2007-09-11T16:46:00.000-04:00

While waiting to hear from my editor I decided to clean the garage so we can get the car into the garage before the snow starts to fall. I don’t know how so much stuff can accumulate in the garage in just four months.
On our way back from New York Tom noticed the green leaves turning red and yellow on a few trees. I just hope when Jack Frost turns the rest of the leaves Tom doesn’t get his uncontrollable desire to take his annual one-hundred-twenty mile trip through the mountains to see the colored leaves. The trip isn’t too bad now since the kids are gone. But when we took this yearly trip in autumn with three kids in the back seat it was miserable. I relate our many family trips and vacations in my book with three kids in a space three feet by five. Why we took these trips with three kids who couldn’t travel one mile without bickering over one thing or another is beyond me. I thought it would be educational for the kids to visit other states. But Tom was obsessed when he got behind that wheel. He didn’t want to stop. He drove those three kids all the way to the tip of Maine and the tip of Florida. When I questioned Tom, “Why do we have to go all the way to tip of the states?” He said, “Someday they will thank us.” Not one child has thanked us for those trips to this day. In fact Maureen tells anyone who will listen that she was so sick when we took her on the Boston Historical Trail that she almost died and how her Dad made go all the way to the end.

The start of the third week.

2007-09-10T16:47:00.000-04:00

Today is the start of the third week of my book being edited. It's after 5:00 and I haven't received E-mail from my publisher so I guess they are still editing. Gosh, I hope there aren't too many mistakes. I wonder how I will make the corrections on the manuscript. I hope they don't make it too difficult or time consuming.

Riding into the sunset.

2007-09-09T17:03:00.000-04:00

We stayed in a hotel even though Marty offerd us a room on his boat. The constant swaying back and forth and up and down from the waves was a little much.
Walking on water at Lake Ontario.
We got home from visiting Marty around 2:30pm. Tom and I are exact opposites when it comes to traveling. My book is full of humorous examples of how our thinking is the exact opposite. We are at different end of the spectrum in most areas. He could just get in the car and drive for hours with no particular destination. He finds it very relaxing and enjoyable. He often says to me, “Come on, let’s get into the car and ride into the sunset.” I absolutely detest traveling. I get into the car and go from point a to b. I am very nervous on the interstates with all the traffic especially trucks. However, when I get to our destination I really enjoy myself and am grateful that we made the trip. The town Marty moved to in New York is a very beautiful little town on the shore of Lake Ontario.

I have to get off this boat.

2007-09-08T09:56:00.000-04:00

Gliding on Lake Ontario in Marty's boat.

The view from Marty's boat on Lake Ontario.

I
guess I should start a list of relatives and friends who would possibly buy my book. I wonder if I have enough relatives and friends to make my book a best seller. What exactly is a best seller? How many books do I have to sell to get on the best seller list? How do I get on the best seller list?
I wonder at what point do I become an author. I wrote a manuscript and it is in the process of being published so am I an author now or do I have to wait until my book is published? How do I become a famous author? If my book is a best seller will I automatically become a famous author? Could I become a famous author without having a best seller? Oh, I’m thinking way too much. I better get off this boat and get back on the dry land.

Today is my birthday.

2007-09-07T17:49:00.000-04:00

Last night Tom suggested that we go to New York and visit our son. This isn’t logical because he just left our house from leave on Wednesday. Tom wanted to visit him on Thursday so here we are in New York on Friday sitting on his boat. You have to read my book to learn about Tom’s Lally Logic. Tom didn’t suggest that we go to New York for my birthday. I already got my wheel barrel of corn. My book explains all about the wonderful gifts I receive from this cartoon character I married.
It is two weeks today since I turned in my manuscript to a line editor. Maybe it will be done today since it took two years to write. One week of editing for each year. However they said it will take three to five weeks. I don’t know how this publishing business works. I wonder where my best selling manuscript is now. Is it sitting somewhere in a pile of manuscripts in an office somewhere? Is someone reading it now word by word? Are there many mistakes?

Some things never change

2007-09-06T16:13:00.000-04:00

Things are getting back to normal today. Our son, Marty was home on leave from the army and left yesterday for a base in New York. As a young boy, he always enjoyed playing practical jokes on his Dad. He hasn’t changed much in that area even though he is thirty-six. But now Marty tries to outsmart him with mind games especially in the area of technology. He knows his father is obsessed with being on the cutting edge of high technology so he is constantly trying to get something higher tech than his father.
My book is full of the tricks Marty played on his Dad as a young boy. He would wait until Tom was resting in his recliner and drifted into a sound sleep. Then Marty would get a screw driver and slither across the room on his belly and remove the handle for the footstool. He would slither back across the room with the handle and anxiously wait until his Dad woke up and reached for the handle to get up. Then Tom yelled, “Martin!” He would smile and walk into the living room and say, “Dad, did you call me?
Not a day went by without Marty playing a joke on his father. The bizarre thing was that Tom fell for his antics day after day.

The green pen marks.

2007-09-05T16:24:00.000-04:00

I can’t help wondering how many corrections my manuscript will need. I have come a long way since I took English classes at Penn State. I remember turning in an English paper and thinking that it was perfect. I was shocked when the professor returned my paper. It was full of green pen marks pointing out my mistakes.
Finally I listened to the professor when she said, “I am lonely in my office. Come in and see me if you need help.” After a few office visits, the green marks on my papers became less and less.
It has been one week and four days since I sent in my manuscript.

Help! I need a line editor!

2007-09-04T12:34:00.000-04:00

Maureen and I edited the content and organization of my manuscript however we didn’t address the typos, punctuation, and grammar.
When I got home from Texas, I started to look at the spelling, grammar, and punctuation. I noticed some run-on sentences and some sentence fragraments. I dug out some English books from classes I took at Penn State. After two weeks of struggling with verbs and dangling participles, I decided to have a line editor help me with these problems. After all if I am going to become a famous author and have a best seller I better make sure my grammar is correct. No one wants to read a book with dangling participles. I am anxiously waiting to hear from the line editor. It will take three to five weeks for my manuscript to be edited.

Self publishing my book

2007-09-03T21:26:00.000-04:00

I decided to self publish my book. After much research I chose a self publisher and sent in my manuscript. They evaluated my manuscript and I was very pleased with the evaluation.
I guess all the editing I did on my book finally paid off. First I gave my manuscript to a friend to get her opinion on the stories and check the flow of the chapters. Then I gave it to my sister-in-law. I was a little concerned about her reaction since the stories were about her big brother. She felt they were hilarious and enjoyed reading the manuscript. Next I had my daughter and her husband read over the stories to see if they flowed and were clear.
Finally I went to my oldest daughter’s home in Texas and we went to a luxurious hotel and did the final evaluation. On our way we stopped at a local grocery store and got a bottle of wine, cheese, and some apples. We ran into her friend and Maureen told her about my book and she wanted her picture taken with me since I soon would be a famous author. Before long the manager joined us and I have a couple book orders.
We had a great time at the hotel and accomplished editing the rest of the manuscript.

Our first stop on the way to editing my book.

This book took two years to write.

Editing in the lobby.

Editing

Editing.

Room service.

A break from editing.

Editing on the balcony.

My book is finished!

2007-09-02T13:54:00.000-04:00

I finally finished writing my book, Help! I Married a Cartoon Character.
I revealed many humorous experiences of forty years of marriage to my childhood sweetheart with honesty and insight. It all started on our honeymoon when he neglected to make motel reservations and took me to a run down hotel with prostitutes prancing at the front door.
I watched my Prince Charming slowly turn into a cartoon character. Many times he would do something and I would pick up the newspaper and there would be a cartoon portraying a character doing the exact same thing.
One of Tom's prized purchases was his recliner rocker. The very first time Tom reclined into his rocker I heard a loud YELL then a THUD. When I looked in Tom's direction, the recliner tipped backward onto the floor with Tom in it. He had to roll over onto the floor to get out of the rocker.
Periodically over the next few weeks, I would hear a YELL then a THUD coming from the living room. Sure enough Tom was on the floor in his beloved recliner.
Shortly after Tom fell backward in his recliner, a cartoon from the local newspaper showed the cartoon character falling backward in his recliner just like Tom always fell. The wife in the cartoon told her husband, "Hang in there you will master that chair yet." However, I have my doubts about Tom ever mastering his recliner. It has been forty years and six recliners later and I still occasionally hear a YELL and a THUD coming from the living room.

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2007-08-22T14:27:00.000-04:00

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