#TheLeftoverBride Diary – Three things I’m grateful for…

Today, I am sharing an additional diary entry from Sorcha (aka #TheLeftoverBride). Ryan & Sorcha’s story in the book takes place at the end of December, but Sorcha’s been writing in her diary ever since Nathan jilted her at the altar. Here’s her entry for September 21st :-).

#TheLeftoverBride is already available. Grab your copy now: Kindle, Kindle Unlimited & paperback. If you’ve already read it: don’t forget to leave a review. 🙂

Dear Diary, Dear Unknown Reader of The Future, Dear Alien archiving information about humanity,

Why are all my designs so shitty right now?

The dress I finished drawing a few minutes ago looks like crap. Literally. A mountain of crap. And I’m being generous. It’s too much and yet not enough. Even Tiramisu turned his back on the paper he usually loves to lay on.

It’s the fifth design I have to trash today. Should I count it toward the “Design 5 more wedding dresses” item on my “31 things to do before the 31^st list”? Maybe. We’ll see. I’ll give it another go tomorrow, even if ever since Nathan jumped on his horse and jilted me at the altar, inspiration has been lacking.

Understatement of the century.

My inspiration and any scrap of talent I had leaped behind #TheRunawayGroom and will never be seen again.

Another design bites the dust.

Time to get on with my list. Because that’s one of the few things I can control. Well, at least a little.

It’s September 21^st and for the past two months, as part of my list, I’ve been writing three things I’m grateful for every evening.

So here we go for today.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:

Think, Sorcha, think. You actually smiled today. Stop staring at your shitty designs and think.

Okay.

1. I had a pumpkin spice latte and a pumpkin scone after lunch. Aisling’s trying yet another recipe and she doesn’t lack inspiration. The frosting she added on top with the vanilla beans is mouthwatering delicious;
   
2. Ava and I watched that baking show she loves with the actor Aisling totally has a crush on (I need to write that letter to him);
   
3. Ryan’s mom told me his physical therapy seems to work. Yes. Knowing Ryan is feeling better makes me smile. But that’s because I’m a genuinely kind person, right? Not because the butterflies in my stomach are thinking about taking a dancing class to waltz around every single time I think about Ryan.

#TheLeftoverBride is out now… Kindle & Kindle Unlimited & Paperback!

A second chance romance set during the holiday season in a small town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: full of laughter and heartwarming moments (and some sexy moments), checklists, family dynamics, a stubborn cat, and a rescue dog.

All Sorcha O’Connor wants for Christmas is for her life to turn into a Hallmark movie—but sexier. Ryan Sawyer has a few things on his wishlist. First, he wants to stay away from Swans Cove. Second, he wants his NHL career back. And third, he wants Sorcha. Always has, always will.

GRAB IT ON AMAZON (KINDLE & KU) – GET A PAPERBACK COPY

Thank you so much for reading!

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Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book. – A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)

This is a numbers episode. I'm going back to the archives a little bit (back to the future, kind of) to talk about a book I released in 2015 that had 23 preorders and became one of my most read books.A Summer Like No Other launched at 99 cents. I had a whole plan — cover reveal with Xpresso Book Tours, NetGalley, YouTube videos, a blog series called The Making Of, emails to readers who had reviewed my first book. I got 23 preorders. In the first three months I made about $200.That same book has now been downloaded 66,550 times in English: 40,279 audiobooks, 24,414 ebooks, and 1,360 paperbacks. Best month was May 2024, with 7,930 downloads.The French version, Un Été Pas Comme Les Autres, had 20 preorders. It's now perma free, has been downloaded 48,368 times, has 1,843 ratings on Amazon France, and the translation got picked up by a publisher that was part of Hachette — which is how I became a hybrid author.So preorders really don't make or break a book.I also talk about:Dictation finally working for me — two days this week with more than 6,000 words, which hasn't happened in foreverA very funny dictation fail from my walkLast week's newsletter (Elodie Now): 205 subscribers, 48.19% open rate, 0.49% click rate, one unsubscribeFun fact: more than 50 subscribers across Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and I didn't know that until this week. Thank youThe two YouTube videos that helped me with dictation:Real Time Dictation Session: Dictate and Edit a Scene With Me — Alyssa in the Books https://youtu.be/I7rpvAGPgv4?si=4Oju1Ob5MjjukVNcBook Dictation for Beginners — The Courtney Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUVQ2vd_w1MThe Margie Lawson Deep Edits packets: Deep Editing, Rhetorical Devices, and More: https://www.margielawson.com/product/deep-editing-rhetorical-devices-and-more/Make Endings POP! Deep Editing Style: https://www.margielawson.com/product/make-endings-pop-deep-editing-style/PublisherChamp: https://www.publisherchamp.com/If you'd like to tell me you're listening and where from, I would love to hear from you: authorelodienowodazkij AT gmail.com

1. Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book. 43:42
2. This isn't a grand gesture … 12:46
3. My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts) 18:36
4. My F***-It Book: She Had Cancer and Still Gets a Holiday Steamy Rom-Com 17:52
5. New Release Hiccups, Metadata, Pen Names, and Mild Panic 19:26