First day, good grief!

Look at my beautiful new look! When I put out a call for help several good friends stepped up and offered assistance, including someone who was blogging way back when I started. Many, many thanks to the brilliant, beautiful and talented CeeCi! She did all the original backgrounds and designs for New Beginnings, Cassie’s Space and PK Corey’s Reading Room and I was honored that she was willing to put her beautiful work back to right. Thank you, friend.

Yesterday was the first day of school for kids around here. It was a little strange not going back. I started adding it up and out of my sixty years there have only been thirteen years that I haven’t gone back for a ‘first day’. But I’m having no qualms about retirement. I can definitely live without a ‘first day.’

Mollie, of course, did go back and she had an interesting morning.  She sent me a video early yesterday morning, showing a bunch of kids outside the school.  I didn't think much about it at first. I thought she was just sending me a first day picture. But as I watched it again I realized somethings were off - there were too many kids all outside. And why would Mollie be outside and WHY was there a firetruck and an ambulance in the parking lot?

Seems there was a small fire in the kitchen about 7:15. Parents were trying to drop off kids, teachers were trying to get to school, the emergency trucks were trying to get there and it was the principals first, first day as a principal and they were trying to get all the kids out of the cafeteria. Of course, teachers did what teachers do. They took over, they got the kids to the upper parking lot and into the old building. A little tough on the first day, since you don't know who your kids are. But they kept everyone calm until they could all go back. It was a minor fire, but not with a school house full of kids in the room. It was an exciting beginning. Not exactly what Mollie was expecting, but Mollie and her partners got the attention of the new principal in a very good way. I hope the rest of the year is calmer.

Where do you get your spanking fix?

I’ve been looking for spanking fixes since I was a kid. In the pre-internet days, pickings were pretty slim. We could look up the word ‘spanking’ in the dictionary, and I bet everyone reading here did

that at some point, well the ones over forty. There were a handful of cartoons. I remember Tom spanking Jerry in one, not exactly sexy, but it was a spanking. We had a few ‘I Love Lucy’ shows, and I can still tell you in the first scene it was one of them. And then of course there was McClintock.

Books on the subject were scarce. There was “The Story of O,” interesting, but not what I really wanted. There was “9 ½ Weeks”. Yes, it was a book first and soooo much better than the movie. But they still had to make her crazy in the end. I also liked stories from the “My Secret Garden” series. But that was about it.

It’s like we were in a dry, parched desert in those days. The coming of the internet, blogs, 50 Shades, we’ve moved to a tropical paradise and we’re floating in a blue lagoon. Many of us are fortunate to get some spanking action from our significant other, but there are tons of people who are still getting their fix from books.

I want to know how you find these books. Or more specificity, how do I let people know about my books?

I sent off the tenth Cassie book to my publishers at Blushing Books earlier this week. It was a labor of love writing this one. My readers here are so supportive and I know many of you have read some of the Cassie books and the Cal’s Law series too. But how can I let a wider audience know about them?  My blog is read by a couple of hundred people which amazes and thrills me that so many would stop by. But think how many people read 50 Shades. I never expect to be in that league, but darn it tons and tons of people read it and liked it. Where are they? How can I tap into that pool?

These are not rhetorical questions – Please give me ideas! I’m asking how do you choose what you read, in spanking fiction or in any other genre. Do you use Goodreads, scan through Amazon, a friend recommends it, you like the cover? What? I know if a friend strongly recommends a book I’m likely to try it. But if you like my books many are reluctant to suggest it to others lest they out themselves as a spanko. My suggestion here, if you’d be willing to help is to say something like, “My cousin suggested this book and it’s different, but I kinda liked it. I wish you’d read it and tell me what you think.” The first book, Cassie’s Space, is only .99, just saying.

I have business cards that I hand out nearly every time I tell someone I’m a writer. I have my blogs. And I have friends who will promote it on their sites if I ask. I have some folks who will write reviews on Amazon – and this really helps, you can leave a review under another name if you feel uncomfortable using your real name. Since I’ve retired I’ve even put it on my real Facebook. But if you have any ideas, any suggestions, please leave a comment or email me at elisspeaks@yahoo.com.  I’m definitely not the only writer with these questions.

The two main questions are:

How do you choose what you read?

How could I better promote my books and let more people know about them?

Naked Eclipse

Does everyone have plans for the eclipse today? I think my crowd phobia is getting worse. The idea of driving to a city or small town

in the ‘path of totality’ in nothing I’d ever want to do. Where we live, it’s going to be a pretty good show, even if it’s not total. Nick will be working. Mollie starts back today so I’m on my own. I think I have a plan, and it came from some fun Nick and I had last Friday.

Our back yard is very secluded. Only two neighbors can see our back yard at all. One is a coupled in their 80’s or early 90’s. We called them the old couple when we married thirty-four years ago. I’m guessing we are now the age they were then. Trees mostly obscure their view these days. On the other side, that neighbor's house is situated so that it looks directly into our back yard. But my friend that lives there is away on a six week vacation, so… no one can see our pool.

Friday was hot and I didn’t feel like struggling with a bathing suit. It’s so much easier for guys. I just went down when Nick did to put my feet in the water, but after looking around I thought, what the heck! Shucked my clothes and went in. Not sure I’ve done that before in the day time. But I loved it! Nick just shook his head at me and eventually lost his trunks. We not only had a great time, he spanked me when we got back in the house for being so naughty. Other fun activities ensued.

So I’ve decided that is how I’m spending my time viewing the eclipse – floating naked in the pool. How many people are going to be able to do that? So tell me how are you spending your eclipse time?

*Hopeful my blog will be back to normal soon. Not having access to my blogroll is hard. Feel free to email me if you post. I'm trying to go around and use other's blogrolls, but it's not like home.