Updates

Healthwise, I had a week of earache.  Better now.

After August 31st, I did not keep writing full steam ahead with Neferseshotep because there were some things bothering me in what I already wrote.  Part of what I rewrote is the excerpt I had up on the blog, so I've updated that (on the Neferseshotep tab, up on top).  More conflict - even though neither character is voicing it.   Would a good comparison be two guys giving each other fist-crushing hand shakes while exchanging pleasantries?

I plan to outline the sequel for The End of the World Sucks in October, then write it during November (National Novel Writing Month).  I have a couple of small ideas already, but I'm trying to concentrate on Neferseshotep, which may be published after the Sucks sequel because it's not as simple so editing may be more time consuming.  My Egyptian priest presents deeper problems than Vanna's quest to stay alive.

This weekend I had my first book signing at a golf outing for Summit Animal Rescue.  I was already signed up to volunteer for an indoor position, and another volunteer in the group has written a children's book about cats ... long story short ... I'll be working the sales table with magnets, t-shirts and the books for the day.  

Coincidentally, I only found out last week that one of my neighbors has also written her first book.  She is going the traditional publishing route, has a publisher, and is about to receive some cover art to look over.  I didn't get much more info than the proposed title and she's a member of the NJ chapter of Sisters in Crime.

I think it's fantastic that others are actually doing something rather than thinking - 'One day I'm going to write a book...'   I do need to get my act in gear so we can crosspost info.  I'm missing facts since I'm unable to come up with decent search results through Google.   Sorry - I was doing yard work, and unprepared for books to spring up in the conversation so didn't have 'I'm an author' business cards handy. 

Last week, I had been reading about authors paying for reviews.  From writing fan fiction for so long, I know the read -> review rate is low.  Less than one review for every hundred page views, and that includes troll reviews from sockpuppet accounts that seem to have a thing for me.   So I was thinking that four reviews on my book after only two months wasn't dreadful based on the quantity of sales because I was slightly ahead.   I was also pleased with them because they were reviews with substance.

As you can see from a previous blog post, I kept my costs low to self-publish.  I'm not at a breakeven point yet, but I'm creeping towards it. So I'm wondering if I could buy 50 5-star reviews on Amazon for $999 - what does that get me?  That's a lot more books that I would need to sell. Will 50 rave reviews sell them for me?  What are these reviews going to say, if the reviewer doesn't read the book? 

Anyone can come along and give it a poor review still.  Also, I would write an angrier review if I felt I was duped into buying a book.  The Amazon rating system might let the angry/disappointed review disappear off the page, but all anyone needs to do is click on 1 or 2 star reviews to find it. 

While downloading some free Kindle books, I succumbed to the temptation to search for my book.  One of my reviews was gone.  Since I hadn't taken a screen shot of it I have to rely on my memory, but I think it was a verified Amazon purchase.  Only having four, I did note that one was not a verified purchase, but that one's still listed. 

It might be that I have some sort of mental disorder, but I did wonder about the one review that was not an Amazon purchase.  It's not even about uncovering who it is, they can keep their anonymity.  I'm curious about how they read my book - the one Nook copy that was sold belongs to someone I know who does not have an Amazon account.  The paperback either needs to be purchased through Amazon or me, and they can't get one from me until I have a book signing.  Could someone have made a purchase through Amazon and thought so well of my book they loaned it to someone, and then that second person's so taken by it, they jumped on Amazon to leave a review?  That seems ridiculously optimistic of me.

So now that I've admitted I think about 'how'd that happen?'  over little things, I was curious what happened to that missing review.    Why would someone take the time to write a review, and then delete it a month later?  I emailed Amazon to see if it was Amazon or the customer that removed it.  Customers can do whatever they like, but if it was Amazon, I'd like to know why so I can dispute it if the reason is not sufficient.  I got a scripted reply back that Amazon can only discuss it with the reviewer.  That doesn't answer my question.

But then, I received a new four-star review.  It's a good review, and since it's four stars I have a little variety on the page.  Hooray for four stars.

Psychological Claptrap, not Science

An interesting article regarding Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) from the Cleveland Clinic -

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/multiple_chemical_sensitivity/hic_multiple_chemical_sensitivity_fact_or_fiction.aspx

Since the body (I guess mine is inferred here) does not produce antibodies then it must be a psychological problem?   

I am a migraine sufferer since early childhood.  It was not until my 20s that it was officially diagnosed because it is rare for children to have migraines.  Throughout my life, I’ve also gotten sinus headaches, which were usually triggered by my crying over the pain of a migraine.  For years, I was told I was ‘faking it’ so I could crawl under my bed to be in the dark, or lie face down on the cool tile floor in the bathroom waiting for my headache to reach the point where I could throw up.

Within the field of migraine medicine, it is known that olfactory triggers are possible.  My migraine does not produce antibodies either, but when I was at the doctor’s office for something else, I had a migraine and enough physical symptoms at the time to get the diagnosis I had waited for years to validate I was not ‘faking it’.

Even when I do not have headaches, I have olfactory auras at times.  It’s odd things that I smell when it’s not present - like waves of vinegar scent at my local Petco while I’m sitting at cat adoptions.

I know my migraines can be triggered by chemicals such as benzene, lead, acetone, benzyl whatever, oxybenzone, diethyl phthalate,  acetate, carbon monoxide, paraffin, and probably at least a dozen others – not natural smelly things like skunk odor or scooping the cat pan.  I’m sensitive to the chemicals that cause central nervous system disorders or hormone disruption.

Why are people that notice these in their environment being labeled as having a psychological disorder? 

And if someone really needs a physical symptom, I got petechia (blood vessels bursting leaving pinkish red dots, mostly beneath my eyes and also on the whites of my eyes) when I was pregnant and avoiding all medication.  How do I fake that shit?  Some of those dots are still on my body.

So I think the so-called experts don’t want to admit that there is a growing number of unsafe chemicals in the everyday environment that will effect some people quicker than others – wait, I’m in the canary group? – and will say ‘oh no, who knew?’ when there’s extensive chromosomal and nervous conditions that can be linked back to these same chemicals that are considered unsafe and banned in other countries.

Just remember, there’s still groups out there lobbying that second hand smoke poses no health risk – Heartland Institute, the same non-profit that says climate change is not occurring, hydraulic fracking is perfectly safe, genetically engineered crops are progress, endorses no regulation or inspection by government agencies, privatization of public services, deregulation of health care, free-market environmentalism, supporting ideas that empower people, and financing political campaigns if the results could cause a major setback to their national effort ($612k for pro-Walker in Wisconsin recall).

That last bit should have been left up to the people of Wisconsin.

I do enjoy living in a bi-partisan state, where even Chris Christie and Cory Booker can appear in the same YouTube video.  They are both capable of saying more than 'no' and 'never'.  One says it plainly, while the other tweets back 140 characters of poetry.

Everyday Chemicals

Another serious post because I had a major migraine caused at my second job yesterday by two different substances – I was monitored by a young man wearing cologne, and I was then assigned to work with sealed bottles of lotion and ointments.   I can frequently smell the products inside.

I am sensitive to chemical smells, and it’s not just things that smell bad because there’s many pleasant-smelling substances that bother me.  I’m also not bothered on a physical level by disgusting smells from things like skunks and my pets.

How I wish I could not work a second job that sometimes puts me in the position of choosing whether to tough it out or go home.  Yesterday, I had the aggravation of getting to the work site at 5 am, and if I left, my teen would need to leave with me because I was her ride.  If I had known she hadn’t had her driver’s license to get us home earlier, I might have insisted we leave while I was somewhat functioning.

So what’s my problem?  Besides the migraines, I am frequently in pain from sinus and tension headaches, neck, shoulder and back problems due to being rear-ended by another car while I sat at a red light three times, and I also sometimes score an earache. I can get pretty cranky when someone gets in my vicinity that can cause me pain because they douse themselves with chemicals.

The scented products are the main culprits, and from trying to research what specifically gives me problems, I found that cosmetic companies are not required to list the ingredients on the packaging.  When labs test them, they find hormone inhibiting and carcinogenic substances, perhaps some benzene. Are these harmful to less sensitive people?  Maybe they are, and it appears that it could be long-term health risks.

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/myths-on-cosmetics-safety/