Are you reading from the UK? If yes, I have to tell you that I love you.

I’ve been adding my book numbers up, because I have to fill out these tedious and crazy financial aid forms in order to get the darling boy into college. (While I do question whether this is a worthwhile endeavor, still, it’s the endeavor that I am trapped into doing by virtue of our joint middle-class upbringing which strongly implies that college is the be-all and end-all of teenage success. Even though I have to wonder whether maybe it’s more like selling him into indentured servitude and perhaps armed resistance would be a better path. Still, I fill out the forms, which brings us back to… yes, reading from the UK…)

Anyway, if you’re reading from the UK, I know something about you.

I know that if you read Ghosts, you then went on to read Thought. And you then went on to read the Spirits of Christmas. And yay, you! Thank you so much!! You are wonderful and you make me happy.

I suppose that there exists some possibility that some UK readers started with Thought or Spirits, so maybe I’m projecting too much onto the numbers. But basically, to the best of my ability to judge, every UK reader who buys Ghosts then buys Thoughts and Spirits as well, and something about that… well, it makes my toes curl with delight. If you’re reading this and you’re from the UK–well, actually, even if you’re not–leave me a note with your email and I’ll make sure you know when A Gift of Time will be free to download. I do, of course, greatly appreciate the cups of coffee that buyers give me, but I’d also really, really like to be able to say thank you by giving you the next book for free.

And speaking of next books–I’ve had ten beta reads now, not counting the first few on fictionpress. I think we’re pretty close to good to go. I’m guessing that by 12/15, A Gift of Time will be available at Amazon. Major revisions to a couple of chapters (10, in particular), a ton of tweaks here and there–I’m hoping it’s much more obvious exactly why Natalya has been holding a grudge all this years without turning Colin into an ass–and many, many minor edits. But most of the feedback has been solid on the fact that it’s a fun read, and in the end, that’s what counts.

I haven’t quite figured out what my release strategy ought to be. I suspect I’m basically an indie failure if I say, well, I’m going to post it and not worry about all that marketing crap. But that’s probably what I’ll do. I can always worry about all that marketing crap on the next book. (Grace! And who knew that in her head Grace is sarcastic and bitchy? Sweet as southern pecan pie on the surface, but underneath, she’s a cynic.)