I Didn't Even Last 6 Weeks

I have just deactivated my Facebook account after less than 2 months. I only ever wanted an Author's Page, but could only do that if I first had a personal page.

It turned out to be as unpleasant an experience as I had anticipated. The voyeuristic aspect of Facebook is one of the main reasons I quit.  I would find myself looking up people I hadn't been in contact with for years. I'd scroll through their life and pictures and then feel like taking a shower. I'd never make it as a stalker.

Then there are the privacy concerns. I have just handed over a slew of information to the folks at Facebook. Even though I deleted every Facebook search, and even though I clear and clean my laptop every single evening, Facebook keeps all that information. For example, ads kept popping up for an eyeglass company that I had contacted a month before. Names of People I Might Know continually showed up on the side of my Facebook page even though I had cleared them from my search box.

I will stick to Goodreads where it feels warm and caring. I will stay with my Amazon page. And I will continue writing here and on my other site.Kate's Travel Site  No doubt Goodreads and Amazon have amassed a bunch of info about me, but at least they do not throw it in my face. Perhaps it is a false sense of privacy, but it sure beats Facebook's attempts to control what I do, as well as their preachy attitude.

Back to flogging my books on the street corners. I only ever did that once, but it seems like it might be something I should get back to.

I Didn't Win the PHC Sweepstakes

I could write a few good books from this spot.

I did not win the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes. I did not win the $5K a week for life. I am back to square one on my quest to become financially independent.

My mother used to enter the PCH sweepstakes back in the day when one submitted an entry by mail, not that she never won anything. When the contest comes up every year I always think about her, and so a few years ago I entered. But then I started getting the daily emails and quickly unsubscribed. For some reason I decided to try again this year and in mid-February, entered the sweepstakes. The following day the emails started to arrive. This time, before unsubscribing, I actually read one and was surprised to find the warning that if I did not reply in a timely fashion I would not be eligible for the Big Bucks.

I began to respond; for $5K a week, there are a lot worse things I might be willing to do. It often meant scrolling through pages of sales offers to finally get to the Submit button. I got rather fast at that, and cleanly avoided the purchase of even one item. As the contest clearly states, No Purchase Necessary. Unbeknownst to me, the PHC barrage of correspondence did not stop there. I received daily emails form the PCH Lotto and PHC Keno, PHC Play&Win, PHC Games, PHC Search, and PHC Front Page; as many as ten a day. There was no clear indication which ones I had to click through and which ones I could immediately delete without being in jeopardy of missing out on the $5K a week sweepstakes. So I responded to all of them, which often meant playing silly bingo games.

As it turned out, the lady who won the contest this year had actually submitted her entry by mail. It must be less annoying than by email, but I bet she got on a lot of unwanted mailing lists. Not that she would mind. I am sure she can now afford to hire someone to sort through her mail.

If I ever again decide to enter, it will be on the last day possible, which might be the day before the drawing. One day of finding my inbox with ten notifications to Reply or Give Up my Chance to Win, might be worth it.

Meanwhile, it’s back to the writing board. Honest, I am more than willing to work to make a living. It’s just that I would much prefer to write books than engage in the limited, low-wage jobs that I can do at this point in my life

I don’t need $5K a week for life. $1K or $2K a month would do me fine. Maybe the publishers at Publishers Clearing House will take a look at my work and give me a leg up. One has to dream big!

Spring Break Books

                          Spring Break is Just Around the Corner

Tel Aviv...Cairo...Brazil...California...Mexico...Bali?

If you can't go, you can always travel there through one of these books.

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