Monday, November 2, 2026 – Orlando, Florida
Hi, all.
It’s the first Monday in November 2026. Outside, it is a cool, damp, cloud-shrouded day that’s meant for staying indoors (except, perhaps, to check the mailbox), eating a hot lunch, and, in my case, getting ready to work on The Book.
Right now, the temperature is 73°F (23°C), with a persistent light rain. It’s not exactly the kind of day the Florida tourism folks would want to showcase in a travel brochure, but rainy, gray days are part of the subtropical lifestyle, even this late in the year. And, of course, the Atlantic hurricane season doesn’t officially end until November 30.
A Little Good News on the Book Front
As Mondays go, though, this one has started on a pleasant note.
Yesterday and today, I noticed a small but welcome uptick in activity for The Jim Garraty Chronicles: A Life Told in Four Movements. One paperback copy was processed over the weekend, and I know at least one of my Constant Readers bought a print copy recently.
Then, this morning, the free Kindle promotion I mentioned earlier went live.
So far, three readers have taken advantage of the offer and downloaded the Kindle edition for $0.00.
Now, three downloads aren’t going to make Stephen King nervous. Then again, that’s not really the point of giving the book away for a few days.
Those three readers now have four Jim Garraty stories sitting in their Kindle libraries. Maybe they’ll read one. Maybe they’ll read all four. Maybe one of them will enjoy the book enough to leave a review. And maybe, if I’m particularly lucky, I’ll gain another Constant Reader or two.
That’s the hope, anyway.
For an independent author, getting a book into somebody’s hands is sometimes the hardest part. There’s an awful lot of competition for everyone’s attention, especially when you’re asking a reader to take a chance on a writer they may never have heard of. For the next few days, at least, I’ve eliminated one obstacle:
The price.
Free is, after all, a very good price.
And Now, Back to The Book
In a little while, I’ll check the mailbox, have lunch, and then get back to work on And the Horse You Rode in On, my current Jim Garraty project.
Which seems appropriate, really. While a few new readers are getting acquainted with the Jim Garraty stories I’ve already finished, I’ll be here on this rainy November afternoon trying to write the next one.
Not a bad way to spend a Monday.
And now…lunch.
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