Help Promote, Send a Picture or a Video.

Get creative!

Read in the sea, 
by a tree, 
with me, 
sitting on a giant pea... 

Read it with your dog, 
on a log, 
knee deep in bog, 
next to a frog...

Read it in a chair, 
on the stairs, 
at the fair...

Snap a picture or video yourself reading your favorite part of Alzheimer's Trippin' with George



I am excited about a promotion idea and I HOPE that you will get excited too.  I think it will be fun!

I will talk about that first and then, after that,  I will give you a peek into what is happening now.

Video Trailer

I have learned that books have to have trailers now days. Just like a movie.

 I bought one for cheap.   It is actually pretty good, considering.  I will share it in the next post, it isn't quite done yet.

But I got an idea of just a video showing people reading Alzheimer's Trippin' with George.  Maybe I will add it to the professional video I have or make one on its own... who knows.

BUT I would like to get pictures and videos of YOU or your pets or strangers
reading the book. Please send your pictures and videos to Susan_trikes at yahoo.   Put "Video Trailer" in the subject line so I know it is ok to click on the attachment.


 If you are brave, post the video or picture on you facebook page and tag me (Susan Straley) so I will see the video or picture and can get it.
  This should be FUN!!!   Maybe I will have a VIDEO REVEAL PARTY and invite everyone who submits a picture or video.

Spread the word! 

Share your book around with those that don't have a copy but are willing to pose or become a film star in the trailer.  Share the link to this blog around.  Remember to hit the "JOIN" tab above if you didn't get an email about this blog you are not on the list!  You get on the list by joining.

DEADLINE! DEADLINE! 
Gotta have an end date, don't we?
Submit your stuff by midnight March 19, 2019.

Now you may be thinking...

What NON-Book stuff is happening, Sue?

I have made a decision!  Pretty epic for me, Miss Indecisive.

I don't want to live anywhere else.  I love it here.

My sister or someone told me after George passed to not make any big decisions but instead, create folders of ideas of what I might do.  Then for the first year just gather information about each option and put it in its respective folder.

I created three folders.

STAY HERE
MOVE (to where the job pay is better and a college town for continued learning)
BUY A CAMPER (live South in the winter, North in the summer, finding part-time seasonal jobs)

But there are two deterrents to moving.
1) FRIENDS
2) This is an affordable place to live right now.


Today I went on our usual Thursday bike ride.  And Debra had invited a bunch of us gals to turn off and do a girls only picnic ride.  It was a lot of fun.

Another couple friends (Dementia Divas) had their husbands pass.  I went to a funeral, and then I invited the new widows and my fellow "Dementia Diva Graduates" or ... what do I call us now, "Wacky Widows"? over for dinner and it was a great time of sharing and celebrating in our accomplishments as we move forward in our lives.

I still hang out with my friends, Debra and Glen.  They are dealing with health issues and I am working on book stuff, so we don't hang out as much.  PLUS so many of our friends from up north are here, so our social calendars get pretty full with dinners, and music, and rides and such. 

Frankie and Dennis and Debra and Glen and I went to a concert downtown a few weeks ago.  Frankie and I did some wild dancing.  I guess it got too wild, Frankie hurt her knee and couldn't bike much while it healed.

Back to the Books

I am looking forward to getting pictures and video... there I go again... thinking about the books project.


I am sorry, I feel driven.  Don't know why or what I am trying to accomplish.  There is no end goal, I am just driven to keep moving in this direction.  I fear getting obnoxious. 

Maybe the entrepreneur spirit in George got transferred to me.

Coming Events

I have been invited to be interviewed on Gary Solomon's Laidback Bike Report... a YouTube show all about recumbent bikes and riding them.  So tune in on March 17th.  I will share the link in a future post.

March 23, 10 a.m., Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters, Tompkins St., Inverness book launch celebration.
 
I will have a table as part of the local authors program at the libraries in Citrus County, FL

April 8 1:30-4:30 at the Crystal River Library
April 9 1:30-4:30 at the Inverness Library



After the first book's kindle launch I will be taking Ice Cream to Memory Lane to celebrate with those folks.  That was our dementia support group that helped George and I so much in our last year. 

Riding Writing Flying

Yesterday I went and rode the Van Fleet Trail.  It is one of my favorite trails.  Some people find it boring, so very straight and not a single hill.  But it goes through the Green Swamp.  So we get to see wildlife.

Yesterday I saw a wild turkey and three very LARGE otter.  I rode with a trike group that was visiting our area.  There were two velo-mobiles riding with us.

I AM FEELING CELEBRITY

I got a poem from Kathie Heimsoth, my neighbor and fellow author.  She framed it for me.

Last week Heather that takes pictures for the trail newsletter was out with her camera.  Then I got my picture on the Withlacoochee Trail facebook page!  I love the picture.

GOOD FEEDBACK

And I have to share this news.  So excited to get good feedback on my book.  The book club in my neighborhood chose my book for their April book to read and discuss.  I gave them two copies to pass around.  One of the guys wrote me an email today and said, "I am reading your book and I can't put it down."

What a lovely thing to say.

I feel driven.  Even though I published this book just to publish it, now I am so anxious and excited to get it into the hands of people who will enjoy it and/or benefit from it that I can't relax.  Even when I was on the Van Fleet I wanted to turn around and come home and work on promotion, perfection.

When I uploaded the kindle version I found the pictures got real small.  So now, I have to go through picture by picture on my computer and then go through the kindle uploading process again.  Lots of work.

MY CELL PHONE

In the meantime my cell phone went dead.  I think I bought it in August!  Already I have had it in for repair once and now again it does (fell out of my pocket and it rained).  So I ordered a new one.   I did not know that I HAVE TO BE HOME to get the delivery.  The shipper, Tracfone, won't let me sign ahead of time, or sign on line, or even go to the Fed Ex place and pick it up.  ARG!

In the meantime I have not text, no cell phone, no way of picking up my messages.  I feel my reputation is at stake.  Not able to respond in a timely manner.  I lost one airport transportation gig because I didn't have a cell phone.

TODAY

I am going to the library.  They are video-taping local authors for a kind of "meet the author" video project they are doing.  If they put it online I will share it with you, or not... depending on how much I mess up.

SALES PITCH

The Kindle version of the first book is only $2.99 until March 21st.  Then it launches and the price goes up to $9.99.  So if you want to get the kindle or gift the kindle version, do it now.  Just click and scroll down until you see the covers and pick a cover.  Same book, two covers.   Once you get to Amazon, pick the kindle version.

SHARE
If you know anyone you think might want to follow the blog to learn when I publish the 2nd book, just share this with them or urge them to click the "join" tab above.  Thanks for being with me as I continue this journey.

Neighbors, Friends, Simultaneous Published Authors!

What fun it was this fall when my biking friend and neighbor returned to Florida to announce that she had just published her first book.  ME TOO! I said.  Well, almost.  It officially releases March 21, 2019. 






Alzheimer's Trippin' with George - book 1 in the series - is now available to order and receive in paperback.

THE KINDLE

The kindle is  ready for pre-release orders.  Then it is sent to people's devices on March 21st.  On that date, the price goes way up!

If I get 100 pre-orders and some good reviews, then Amazon will take notice and start helping promote the book.  Which would be great if more beginning caregivers could find it and feel more confident and competent because of it.

SPEAKING OF...

I have now three speaking engagements at Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Groups in the area.

The first one is this week!

If these go well I will be looking for engagements in other areas of the state.

I stopped in at Trailside.bike where I used to work while caring for George.  They agreed to carry my books, so I will be taking some down there to them.

Today I registered to sell with the Florida Department of Revenue.  Who knew there was all this stuff to take care of when trying to spread the word about the books.

This means I can have books for sale at the speaking engagements and at the book launch celebrations!  Yeah!

And I am excited to announce that MLE has agreed to sing at the book launch event.  This is a 14 year old aspiring singer. mlemusic.net/

If you haven't done so already, be sure to click on the JOIN tab (above) and fill out the form to be notified when I post news on this site.  I am working on being more efficient and techy.  Learning learning learning...

Enjoy your moments!

Reflections on the Cover Reveal Video

If you had trouble getting the Book Cover Reveal Video to work, Click Here to watch it.

I had so much fun!  Thank you for sharing in this moment with me.

The morning after the reveal I recorded another video.  And below that are the links to the book on Amazon. 

Don't forget to leave a fair review on Amazon!  I need those to get suggested to folks by Amazon.  Just one or two sentences is all that is needed to help others find the book.  If you can, use one or two of these key words in your review so others that you think might enjoy the book can find it!  Alzheimer's, Caregiving, Travel and Trikes. 

I especially need reviews from folks who love someone with Alzheimers, are Caregivers, or who ride trikes and biketrails.



Some people had trouble playing the video last night so if this video doesn't play for you, try this link.

To get to the Amazon page with the sunset cover, click the picture below.

To get to the Amazon page with the joy in the convertible cover, click on the picture below.

Back to talking about the party.  Max Schulman, who co-wrote three books about Citrus Trails came with champagne so we could all toast after the video played.  Neato! 

And then Helen Ciampi stood up, she leads the Floral City Support group and she announced that I would be speaking at their meeting on February 15.  So much support!

I am so excited to finally have the books up and available.  It has been a roller coaster ride of joy and frustration.  But then, I should be used to that caring for George on the Withlacoochee Trail the last few years.

I think if you have a gmail account you can follow this blog.  And whenever you want to check in, it is now under the url www.susanstraley.com That will help!

Enjoy your moments, they are finite.