Gave my book away to 206 people.

Just gave away my novel for free on Amazon. I am participating in their Kindle Direct Program. I agreed to make digital copies of my book exclusively available to certain Kindle customers, and they allow me to give my book away 5 days in the next three months.

My first give away was a success. 203 people downloaded it. I am hoping they all enjoy it and maybe even leave me a good review. It's been  months since anyone has written a review. I'll be giving it away free again, February and March.

I also had a Goodreads giveaway. I offered 3 paperback copies of my novel to only U.S readers. 200 people requested it. 3 people won copies It was wonderful practicing my signature, signing my books, and shipping them. I hope I get to sign thousands more someday. When I get some money I'll do a European and Asian give away - the shipping costs are ridiculous. I think my book will do well in England. 56 people from the UK downloaded it digitally, and 2 from Canada.

So, the people at Absolutewrite.com were right. Book give aways on Amazon and Goodreads are excellent ways of building buzz for your book and getting your novels into reader's hands.

Until we meet again, I will continue to write into the wind.

Luis Mario 

I threw a party and no one came

The time is 9:49 p.m. on Sunday December 9,2012. Today I hosted my very first authors Q&A on Goodreads.com, and no one came. Oh sure, one person signed up to attend. I invited 5 people. That's almost all of the friends I have and I left posts on Facebook. Not one person asked a single question.

Makes me wonder, if not one person cares to hear the story of a fucking guy who made an XXX online sex show with his own cousin, my book is destined to fail. My protagonist is a fucking Internet pornographer for Pete's sake, and still no body cares. My poor beloved novel is doomed.

I love writing. I really do. I love connecting scenes, building characters. I even love studying grammar, and sitting on my couch late at night, drunk, and painting pictures with words. But I hate writing because it has brought me unprecedented despair, sadness and feelings of failure. Nothing else in my life has done that to me.

I was hoping to talk to someone today about my novel, anyone. No one wanted to talk to me. Maybe  it's not a lack of interest on the part of readers, maybe my ads suck, or maybe it's my cover. Maybe I should just face facts and realize the whole idea for my novel sucks. No one wants to hear the story of a Latino who doesn't cheat on his wife, or sell drugs, is not a vampire, a secret agent or a psycho. He is just a guy who is willing to go to Hell for his family. Maybe I need to face facts and move on.

I love writing and I will continue to do it. As a matter of fact i am starting to consider my next novel. But I am writing at this point because I CAN'T stop. But I now write with a pessimism that was not there before I published my book, and a certain degree of sadness.