Writers Corner - Toronto Indie Author Conference - I attended for the entire weekend and recommend it for Authors

      It was long and tiring but I loved it all.  I did recommend that next time it would be nice to have an overnighter to relax and lounge and network more.  I learned a lot and now I will have the time to research and implement what is best for me and my readers.  At one point someone sitting next to me who sells a lot of books (galore) talked about her superfans amount and I mentioned I have about two.  She got up shortly afterwards and disappeared.  I found that so funny.  The next funny thing that happened was that I was looking at a guy wearing a base ball cap and I couldn't figure out what the cartoon character on it was.  He turned to see me looking so I told him I was looking at the emblem on the cap and walked away.  I heard him say,  "Next time look at me."   I turned around asnd said, "excuse me?"     To which he replied it was a Raptor's emblem.  I believe that is a baseball team, rather famous in Toronto.  I guess you all know by now that sports is not my forte.  Anyhow,  I have only been accepting cash at book fairs and therefore I have been losing a lot of money because people (I am actually one of them) don't usually use cash.  Now, keep in mind that I give out receipts.  I also don't normally bundle my books so I will do that.  So, now I am exploring what my best option is.  Most are using square, which is probably where I am headed.  Now,  I do have many people who read my blogs so I want to make it easier for all to buy my ebooks.  So, I have an option of KOBO which I think I have one ebook on and Dreamscape.  Now KOBO is Canadian and Dreamscape is from the States.  The two I met were from Ohio and I have driven past there when driving to Disney World.  Now they have a contract which I am concerned about but I will like to see it,  determine where in the world they sell.  They have ebooks in the USA library and Canadian.  I have quite a few Americans who have been reading my blogs since I started so I want them to have access to my books.  I will get money from there and Canada.  I don't think KOBO will put it in American libraries so I sent both representatives an email and will go from there.  I am concerned about the contract if it limits me and therefore will probably go to KOBO because I have no restrictions.  One of the things I learned that when selling ebooks it has to be the same price from where ever I am selling, so I shall have to ensure I do that.  If you ever see different prices please let me know so I can rectify that.  So this is what I am at right now.  I am on shopify now (silvaredigonda.shopify.com) and thought that everyone could get my books/ebooks from there but I was wrong.  I received notification that they will be updating to more countries but there is mega sheets of contract.  What stood out was "not responsible" and "crypto".  I didn't read it all because there was endless scrolling and when it comes to contracts I want to know exactly what is involved so it appears I will be looking at getting off shopify.   Shopify is a Canadian Company but charges in American dollars which I do not like.  I am with godaddy, an American Company which I pay for once a year in Canadian funds.  I used them for psychotherapy and don't need the account anymore.   I could switch to them for books but have to explore my options more.  So, you see I have to stop writing for a while to get this all sorted.  I shall keep you up to date.  There is a lot more to say, so you will be hearing more.  Have a nice day!  Wish me luck!  As soon as I get on a new or different platform, I shall let you know immediately.  Good talk.

Bishop O'Connell's Reflection on Recent Public Criticism of the Holy Father and the Tragedy of War (from Trenton, USA)

 

Another segment about Suicide. notes.

When Child Dies by suicide or accident, pain does not fully heal (as told by parents)

Victim is also the perpetrator - miss you and angry with you.

An individual set himself on fire in his backyard.  His parents witnessed it as well as his children.  Emotions - anger - to love - to anger - to love.  This person is the victim of the event and perpetrator and that is the difference.  There is guilt, shame, helplessness.  Shame - what does it say about me?  How do I deal with you not in my life.  How do I counsel the children?  Was I an inadequate in life?  

Do they talk about it?  No and that is why therapy is required.  Explore that guilt.  If I can blame myself, I’m not powerless.  We look for reasons and sometimes blame counsellors.  Suicide is a choice made by the individual and usually thought about for a long time, usually leading to distorted thoughts.  Usually, a therapist will ask - Why didn’t they tell me?  A PHD therapist stated, “I would have stopped him.”  She had suffered for about a year wondering why.  If an individual knows you will stop him, he loses his choice.  Some therapist will leave the profession.  There is a limit anyone can do to prevent suicide.  If I interpret and stop you to prevent suicide -  a heavy burden if I think I could have stopped this and didn’t.  One person saw a psychiatrist, a social worker and a therapist all in two weeks and committed suicide.  How does it affect others?  Maybe I should join them?  As a clinician you can teach to cope, but you cannot do it alone.  Give permission and self care (recharging batteries).  Address guilt and shame.  Teach to identify and name emotions.  Name it and take it.  1 to 10, How sad do you feel?  If they say 10, try to bring it down to 5.  Teach mindfulness, to increase non-judgemental self - awareness.  This can help clients catch it early before they go into crises.  Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - Identify situations/thoughts that trigger me and may increase my feelings of sadness and or despair.  Address guilt/shame.   

To be continued.  Have a good weekend.

 

silvaredigonda.myshopify.com

      

Have you read my book?  What are you waiting for?  You will find it on print and e-format.

Any problems - let me know.  Feel free to tell me what you think of it.  I am surprisingly asked at fairs if my books are any good.  Since, I am no long stunned by the question,  I have decided on a fair answer.   Thank you for asking such a good question.  I have written the worse book I could think of.  Please let me know if it has met your standard.

My Welcoming Mat - B & E's have increased in my area and they are becoming more violent

 I attended an informative In person meeting with the Senior Toronto Police from our Division last night.  In some areas crime has increased and in others a slight decrease.  What gained my attention is the increase of Break and Enters into our homes which is becoming more violent.  Should I or shouldn't I?  I have cameras,  alarm system and now my latest welcoming mat.  Good talk.  Houses are being sold at a low time low -  Niagara,  I have not forgotten you.  Wait for me for the right timing.

China, China, China I am quite aware you are a Communist Country - We must protect our Asian community and keep you out of our political realm

 

Writer's Corner and what am I up to.

 

     I think you know by now that I write about psychotherapy, theology and writer’s corner.   I also like to post anything of interest especially if it affects people.  Then again I may write just about anything.   I am taking a hiatus, as I recharge and decide what I want to be doing.  My focus will be spending more time selling my books and also if that is what I want to be doing.

I believe there are 6000 new books published each day and trying to stand out can be difficult.  I also lack patience and so navigating everything is not a problem but waiting is not my forte.  I do have more time to attend webinars and tonight I plan to attend another Toronto Sister’s In Crime.  That is what I recommend writers to do -  join an association.  I want to explore more venues where I can sign and sell books and I also want to have more time to read and attend fun things.  I am playful by nature and that is not always acceptable, but I have obviously held professional positions where caring for people and their safety was always paramount.  Being playful and having a sense of humour in my opinion is very beneficial.  We need balance and we need to appreciate nature.   I am sometimes asked at book fairs if I have done any research on my books and I usually say no.  Then the person grins and walks away.  But what I have thought about is usually when someone asks me that, they don’t really know what research entails.  When I attend writing webinars as an author, there are many professionals who speak about their work experiences so it many benefit  our writing.  I have attended a few of them though I haven’t used any in my books.  I have been writing stories since I was a child.  I always wrote for fun and it was a seventh grade substitute teacher who in front of the entire class called me a cheater and declared that there was no possibility I could have written my short story, he had asked the class to write.  In front of the entire class,  I responded that I did indeed write the story and that he should ask my mother because I wrote it on the kitchen table where she was usually cooking or baking and telling me how wonderful my writing was.  She was always my biggest cheerleader.  That English teacher, I recall to this day.  He had lots of red hair, red freckles and a red face.  He was tall, medium built and I don’t believe he ever smiled.  He had this stern look on his face and his lips were always pursed shut and it appeared that a crow bar would be required to open that mouth.  When he did, it was never pleasant.   I think that the first day he entered our class (our class was brutal to substitute teachers) he stopped in front of a youth who was almost as tall as him, he removed  his gloves and slapped both sides of the boy's face with his gloves.  I never did like teachers and why would I when they behaved like that?  That is the creature who told me that I did not write my stories, that I could not.  These people should never teach children.  In those days teachers didn’t require the same level of education as they do now and that is a good thing.

With the book I am writing now it will have the same idea of murders.  I like killing people (it’s fun) JUST JOKING PEOPLE. I ONLY KILL PEOPLE IN MY BOOKS AND I DO NOT HAVE FUN.  DO I?  I'll have to think about that.  My sibling gave me a coffee cup at Christmas which shouts out to be careful or they will be in my next book.  I just may do that.  This time the protagonist is not a police person but a psychotherapist and so that should make my three fans happy.  In one Sister’s of Crime webinar we were told to think of our readers when advertising.  I don’t actually advertise except for what I am doing here.  I post on my blog, facebook, Twitter X, and Linked In.  Feel free to follow me on Facebook, but I don’t accept “friends” for security reasons.  On Linkedin  I accept everyone and have to start from scratch on my site.  In this blog, I place everything and then I decide where else to share it.  I want to examine how to expand in social media without spending the money.  I have two web sites right now and have to decide which one I will be giving up.  I have Go Daddy (American) and Shopify (Canadian) but prefer Go Daddy.  Shopify charges me in American dollars and are expensive. Go Daddy charges me in Canadian.   I have to think about this and perhaps explore other sites as I am now placing myself on a budget.  With one writers event, the author was making 60,000 a year but spending thirty thousand.  Me don’t want to do that.  Nope, no sireeeeee.  Going back to my readers -  I am supposed to think about them when I advertise.  Well,  I do have many people reading my blogs, from all over the world.  Thank you.   I can see the blogs that are read, and the amount of people from each country but it isn’t specific.  That’s ok.  During the webinar, we were told to price our books.  Mine are priced.  We were also informed that the cover is important and should be reflective of what is inside.  I think mine are ok.  Hey Guy Buy Me is still my best seller.  Both men and women like it, but I now sell it mostly for 5.00 at events and if people buy all my books, I throw it in for fun.  The Internet Murders with the City of Toronto picture on the cover is a given.  For Love of Country Military Policewoman - yup.  Ok.  Ominous - my favourite.  Well, you tell me.  I usually have my readers return to me and give me their opinions.  Some men have really gotten rabid mad, reading Hey Guy Buy Me and I tell the women, if they get mad, perhaps it is time to drop them.  Other men, who are secure with themselves, love it.    We were told at the webinar that the cover must look like the genre -  titles can confuse readers.  We should have the correct title and series name and proper covers.  

     That is all for this week.  I am still going through my home, deciding what is to go and stay.  My books are now all gone.  I have donated everything and just kept what I haven’t read and copies of my own books of course.  My office is gone.  My Desk is my new TV Stand.  My old TV stand will be going on the front lawn for someone to pick up.  I am slowly getting there.  Real estate agents are starting to annoy me again and I don’t think I will be listing any time soon, because the housing market has fallen to a low time low.  So, it is a waiting game now.  My eye is still on Niagara Falls.  For any real estate agents out there, you know the expression, “Don’t call me.  I’ll call you”.  However,  I will look at offers but will not sign a contract at this time.  My lawyer can look over the offer.  Bye bye for now.  If you want to buy my books, please do so at        silvaredigonda.myshopify.com  or if there is any difficulty let me know and I will mail it out to you regardless of where you are in the world.  Have a nice weekend.  We are still expecting some snow and lots of rain so though I opened the windows today, the patio is still off limits.  Take care.  What do you think?