Summer Solstice 2019

The longest day of the year. The Summer Solstice. A day of positive energy and glorious sunlight. That is, of course, if you do not live in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Once again, we awakened to sucked in fog and bitterly cold weather. So much for seeing the sun rise and pop through an ancient temple. There actually is a Sunstone at a local science museum, but they are closed at sunrise and no one there seemed to know what I was talking about.

Photo: garethwiscombe - Wikipedia 

Stonehenge. Now that would be incredible. Except that it is so packed with folks on the same mission that I think it might be hard to see and really enjoy.

Machu Picchu, in Peru, is another site. Intihuatana, the stone solar clock at the top of the mountain marks the event. A younger me would have relished that experience. I figure now, I most likely would keel over and drop dead from the lack of oxygen.

Intihuana - Wikipedia photo 

The ancient Mayan temple El Castillo, at Chichen Itza in Mexico, is the place to be for the equinoxes. I was there, ages ago, but not for the equinox. And now I hear you can't even climb up the temple which produces a shadow snake twice a year. I did scale the temple, and almost did not return.  I don't particularly like heights, especially when ascending ancient stone steps with nothing more than a chain to hang on to. Then I made it to the top, gazed out over the marvelous ruins and jungle, then glanced down the steps. My stomach did a 180. How was I ever going to descend all those steps which appeared to be at a 45 degree angle? Obviously, I did make it back down, walking backwards, stooped over, and hanging on to the chain for dear life.

Photo:Fcb981 -Wikipedia  

Maybe next year I will find an ancient site in which to witness the sunrise on the solstice. Or I could look into the Southern Hemisphere Summer Solstice. That's only six months away. I don't know of any historical monuments, but there must be some.

The sun finally made an appearance, and I plan to enjoy every single minute of this special day.

What's Up with Amazon AU?

I published my first book, Murder, Jaz, & Tel Aviv, through BookSurge.  A few years later, they morphed into CreateSpace, and things just got better. I was now able to format everything on my own without paying for the service. Also, I was able to run free eBook giveaways. Then Amazon took over and things again changed. 

I didn't really mind that KDP started charging for running a free eBook giveaway. It never resulted in many reviews. Although I probably have around 1000 free downloads on various titles, I have received less than five reviews. Still it was a way to get some publicity. 

But now, the problem is with distribution of my paperbacks in the Amazon Australia market. With the exception of my first book, all of my titles have been available on Amazon AU at the US$ equivalent price.

When my latest, A Neapolitan Intrigue launched in March, it surprised me that the only way to purchase the paperback in Australia was through a UK distributor, at nearly double the US price.

It is my understanding that print-on-demand books are printed in the country where they are ordered. The US certainly cannot be the only ones with this technology. So why is it that my new book is not available for a reasonable price in Australia? 

Countless emails to KPD Publishing and Amazon, both US and AU, have left me baffled.

"Kate, as we mentioned it can take up to 45 days for the website to reflect these changes. However, we can't guarantee your book will be available through our Global Store."  

Huh? Why not?

"In your case Kate, your paperback is not being fulfilled by Amazon itself, it is only be offered by the third party sellers."  

Once more...huh?

"Again, Amazon is not directly affiliated with these sellers, and we do not control certain aspects of their Amazon product listing, including price, shipping, condition and delivery terms. Hence we can not force them to change the price or take any action on their copies."   

Amazon, I do not understand. You are the sellers. You set the parameters for printing a book. If it's not you, then who is it?

Should anyone have any idea what is going on, please contact me.

And a side thought: Why doesn't Amazon AU have an Author's Page available? I don't worry about that too much, but what a shame for my fellow Australian Independent Authors. 

Pebble Beach - U.S. Open: Nighttime Reading

After watching a long day of the U.S. Open in Pebble Beach, this might just be the perfect read.

Set in Monterey & Carmel, the very same neighborhood as The Open, BAD ACCOUNTS, would be a good addition to that late night cocktail

Top notch accountant Pia might have suspected her bosses of cooking the books, but when you’re fifty-two and jobs are scarce, it’s easy to look the other way. Or it is until you find out that your employers might be managing the finances of a drug cartel, right there in your hometown. Stealing a few files to implicate her bosses seemed like a good idea… until Pia finds a gun in her front yard, apparently dropped by an inept hitman.

Maybe she should have listened to Brad and quit her job instead of absconding with the incriminating documents. But it’s too late for regrets now, and she’s a marked woman. Luckily for Pia, Brad puts his surfing on hold long enough to help get her out of town and down to Ocean Beach. Unfortunately, that might not be enough. Crossing the border into Mexico may be the only answer.

From Monterey, California all the way to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, aging gangsters, bungling rent-a-cops, and an out-of-his-element hitman, thwart Pia’s every move. But with the help of a few surfers and their friends, she’s determined to not only stay alive, but to see the drug cartel shut down once and for all.