For those who don't know it, Don Juan is a work of fiction.

History

I love reading history. The only problem is that there is so much of it.

A Thriller Is About People In Danger

A thriller is always about people in danger. The key is to make the reader share the hero’s anxiety. In all popular fiction, the author’s aim must be to get the reader to feel the emotions of the characters. That’s what makes the reader turn the pages.

KEN FOLLETT

FEW SMALL MARKETS

by C. Hope Clark

WHEN 100 FOLLOWERS IS BETTER THAN 1,000They call it a tribe. I'm not crazy about that word, because
fans aren't a tribe. They are good friends, in my opinion.
But anyway, let's talk numbers.

When someone says, "Follow me on..." so he can build up
followers on some social network, what does that mean?
So he has 10,000 followers. How many of those read what
he has to say? How many of those look forward to buying
his work? How many of those belong to his "tribe" because
they feel they have to because there are 9,999 other
people who do? How many just delete?

While gobs of followers sound good, we both know that
what counts is how many care enough to come hear you speak,
buy your book, or tell their friends about you.

Finding these "solid" fans evades most people, mainly
because so many up-and-coming writers are looking over the
tops of them, hunting through hordes of strangers to build
that elusive platform.

Start with the lowest common denominator. Start with who
you know. Connect with them, keep in touch with them, and
they become your best allies.

The point is that starting with people who love and trust you,
is a huge jumpstart. They not only buy your work, but they
talk you up with vigor to their connections. That's planting
seeds that spread roots everywhere!

Bottom line, don't overlook everybody you touch or who touches
you when you need a platform. You can start your garden in
well tilled soil or you can start it in new ground. Guess
which one will give you the best results?


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Money Spent

Cooler at night, cooler at day.

Made arrangements to talk to a guy about installing a heat pump. One of the nurses that comes to the house has one which is where I found out about it. I saw a compressor outside a neighbors house, so I went to have a look at it.

The guy came while I was tarring the driveway. My son continued with that while I went with him to discuss. We got the size all figured out, where to put the stuff, etc and then he told me I needed a 220v plug outside. So it was call him when I have the plug.

The nurse knew a electrician so I called the company. I was told the office staff was away on vacation so they were letting the electricians pick their own jobs. The guy didn't come for two days. When he did show up, I told him the what and where of everything and the easiest way to do it. Told me he couldn't do it that way, which made me wonder if I knew more tham him. Remember, I used to be an electronic tech. in the air force. and quite used to laying cables. On one of my jobs I was in charge of installing cables in a new hanger.

So I never heard from him for two more days. When he finally called, he said it would cost $750. plus tax which would be about $850. Not in my life. Pick their own jobs?

In the neantime, the other guy had been calling back to see if I had the plug. Told him the problem and he gave me the number of someone he just met on another job. Gave him a call.

He came right away. He would do it the next day for $200. total. He could do it the next day at nine o'clock. The next day he was here at eight forty-five. Did the job plus some extra and supplied the parts.

Now, I had been thinking about upgrading my electrical box. Circuit breakers instead of fuses. Thought I should do it while I had a hold of this guy. Talked it over, he gave me a good price and can do it in the first two weeks of Oct.

And that is enough renovations for this year. New kitchen, new bathroom, new electrical and heat pump plus some other smaller items. Last week my son asks, "Do you want to install the laminate floors in the dining and living rooms? I have five days off at Thanksgiving." My answer was we should wait till spring.


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Muggy and Hot

Muggy, muggy, muggy. That's the only way to describe the weather. It's 10 AM and I have to go for my walk in a little while.

I was writing for the last little while. "Li'l Warsaw #2" It's at Halloween, so I can have some fun with it. Bullets will still have to fly.

"Britain warns Ecuador it could enter embassy to get Assange." What the heck is going on there? Seems a bit overboard. Winning so many medals at the Olympics has made them go stupid. For any normal size country, this would be war. You can never tell how how such a thing would turn out. Chavez in Venezuels might jump right on that.

Cut my lawn yesterday. Always bag the grass in the front so it doesn't mess up the driveway. That grass was wet and heavy. Didn't have to do a walk.

Took my daughter to the eye doctor yesterday. Found a good place in the mall, lots of room. Afterwards my wife and her went shopping. She was happy about that. They didn't need me dragging around, looking bored. I sat on one of the benches and read my Kindle.



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Don't Bump Me

The weather is the same everyday, warm and muggy.

Went for my run yesterday and almost got run over again. This time by two joggers. They passed me on the right and didn't even beep. I need a rear-view mirror attached to my glasses.

Watched the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. Everything was about their past and present, nothing about the future. Personally, I don't think they have a future. The present was kids having fun and texting. That says it right there. Man can not live on Harry Potter alone.

This was a bad week for losing people. First, my son's friends father died, Then it was my wife's uncle. On Thursday it was the wife of my best friend from high school. I guess I'm on top of that bell curve now. It starts of with hardly knowing anyone who dies, then it builds up to someone almost every week and then back to hardly knowing anyone.

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One Way or Another.

On my walk yesterday, I helped a guy lift a lawnmower from his truck. He proceeded to tell me all about his new mower. He bought it at Canadian Tire for $330.00. It had rear wheel drive instead of the usual front wheel.

On this  street, the back yards on one side are particularly steep. He told me how he cut the lawn before he bought the new mower. My way would be to go from side to side, but not him. He told me he stood at the top of the yard, put a rope on the handle and let the mower go to the bottom, then he would drag it back and do it again till the lawn was mowed. I would loved to have seen it.

He then told me he didn't know which was worse, mowing the lawn himself or pulling the rope.


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Olympics

Tuesday. Temp 17C/63 F. Supposed to rain. Believe it when I see it.

The garbage can was tipped over last night. Must be that racoon I've seen before.

"LONDON (Reuters) - In the shadow of London's gleaming Olympic venues, a quiet battle is under way over who gets to cash in on the Games.

Olympic organisers have enforced strict rules to protect official trademarks, deploying about 250 uniformed "brand police" on the streets of the capital to ensure businesses do not piggyback off the world's biggest sporting event.
The rules are simple: no one outside a small band of official sponsors such as McDonalds or adidas is allowed to make a profit by creating an association with the Games.
London is buzzing with curious stories of those who have found themselves on the wrong side of the brand police such as a stall owner who was told off for displaying the London 2012 logo and a butcher in a town hosting sailing events who had to remove a sign showing the Olympic rings made from sausages.
On a quiet side-street within walking distance of the Olympic stadium where the Games open officially on Friday, a cafe called Olympic has had to paint over the letter "O" to comply with the rules."

There you have it. You can only make money if you have big bucks.

Life Goes On And Gets Shorter

0C/32F outside. Also in my neighbours house next door. She didn't pay her taxes, house was auctioned off. Whole situation is a mess. Not getting involved.
Bought a new van a couple of weeks ago. It's a 2009 Grand Caravan SE Plus. A friend asked if it had lots of bells and whistles on it. Told him it was a van, not Santa's sleigh. Went to Canadian Tire to get an undercoating the other day. The machine was broke, so got an appointment for Tue. If I lived in Florida for the winter, I wouldn't need it.
My son checked out which one was best. The Canadian military says the stuff which Cdn.Tire uses is the best. So that's the one. Of course it all depends on the person who puts it on. You have no control over that. On my other van, my mechanic checked it out and it wasn't done on the part where the hoist was. Got it redone.
On Monday I have to go to the hospital for a pre-operation check. That is because I'm getting my prostate removed next Fri. Get to stay in the hospital one night.
On Wed. I have to take my daughter to the hospital for an x-ray of her foot.
Thursday has no obligations. Maybe I should take my wife out to lunch. A last supper, sort of. Well, hopefully not the last,last supper.
The day after I got my van, I got a letter from my insurance co. telling me that I need a new oil tank. Ten years old, that's it. Ordered a new one with fiberglass, good for twenty-five years. So that will be the last one of those I will buy. I seem to be saying that a lot in the last few years. Last roof replaced, last furnace, last driveway paving, last oil tank, but hopefully not last van.
A few days after that, got a bill for my licence plates that will expire in Jan. $199.00 for two years.
Haven't written much in this blog lately. Devoting my time to writing in my other blog called Flash Fiction.
http://originalmagazineads.com/flashfiction/