I successfully uploaded my book to Kindle and “launched” it to my subscribers four days ago. The response was small: an open rate of about 2%, which was probably what I expected. I’ve had precious little sales on Amazon over the last four weeks, so it was nice to see a spike in the graph. I managed to climb into the top 100 in Organised Crime (73) on Amazon UK, which has been unfamiliar territory for me for quite some time now. I couldn’t get it on to the other sales platforms until I had it on D2D. Eventually it appeared on Apple, Kobo, B&N and other smaller sellers. My sales on D2D have now started incrementing since I created an advert on BookBub. It’s still subjective territory for me, this advertising game, but hopefully I will find those small margins which will give me some appreciable headway. The link for outlets other than Amazon is https://www.books2read.com/u/bpWoXk. The link to Amazon.com is http://www.amazon.com/dp/B079SSJP9V/?tag. The price is $0.99/£0.99. If any of you do download the book, I would appreciate a review on Amazon. Every little helps, as one popular retailer says over here in UK.

I’m now waiting for the paperback to be delivered. It’s due today and, if it’s the right jacket, I’ll order a few more copies for the UK Southern Bookshow in March. The reason I mentioned the jacket is because I changed the cover after publishing the book on CreateSpace. It was a small change, but made a significant difference to me. However, the old jacket is still showing on the product page, and I won’t know it has been updated until the book arrives. I had this problem with Hell’s Gate: it took several emails and two, incorrect deliveries before Amazon got it right. They did admit to a “Technical glitch” though.

I see a lot of chat on author forums etc. about the need to get the jacket right, and how only a professionally designed jacket will do. I design my own and have a great deal of trouble getting them how I like them. I’m well pleased with this one because of the significance of the background and the flags. The background is the Holocaust memorial in Berlin, and the flags represent the link between the events of World War Two in Berlin, and modern day politics in America. It’s a crime novel, not a political thriller.

My WIP is slowly falling into shape — slowly being the operative word. I am now beginning to see a way round my self-inflicted problems, and, hopefully, I can resolve these and move the story forward. Believe it or not, I am now hopping from one unfinished thriller to my WIP. Sounds ludicrous, right? And you would be right; but the idea of knocking out two books this year is something that keeps teasing me.

On the domestic front, I have managed two trips to the Gym. Haven’t lost any weight yet, but I live in hopes. Pat is hoping to join me in a few weeks maybe. She needs to wait until she has been checked after her cataract op. This will be in a week or so. Then a short wait until she can have new glasses. And Tuppence is doing OK: she should make the weigh-in successfully next month. Can me and Tuppence do it? Hopefully. Wish me luck!