The first 300 words of #SweetsForLove…

Are you ready for the first 303 (yes, it’s that precise) words of #SweetsForLove? I’ve changed them around to have a certain someone show up on the page right in the first two pages or so.

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#SweetsForLove – First 300 words

Will anyone notice if I shove Marion Sinclair and her over-the-top Happily-Ever-After BS into the sparkling pool?

“Aisling! Whoo-hoo!” Marion—the influencer of the wedding cakes world waves my way. Wedding Bells Magazine, where she works, is the main sponsor of Let’s Say Yes, the gigantic wedding catering vendor conference of the year.

Marion’s been watching me, waiting for the perfect moment to corner me, shimmying with her butt up in the air like Tiramisu the Cat when he’s ready to pounce on his favorite toy.

My eyes dart to the side. What if I dived under the cocktail table? Too dramatic. I force my PRBF (Permanent Resting Bitch Face) as my sisters call it to relax into a fake smile. “Hi Marion, I’ll be right back. I still need to check in.” I point to my small battered suitcase and rush away before she can pepper me with phony enthusiasm and well-crafted insults that sound like compliments.

The AC and the very particular hotel fragrance—the one full of temptation–blasts in my face as I swerve right into a couple making out in the middle of the lobby.

“I’m sorry.”

No answer—except the man dress as Elvis grunting in approval.

The woman’s wedding veil cascades to the floor and the man’s hands travel down her back. Even though PDA isn’t my thing, there’s a familiar pang in my chest, reminding me that I’ll never have that again. Not that I want it.

“Happily ever after in Sin City,” a deep and smooth voice chuckles next to me. The cologne he’s wearing–one of those bergamot and old spicy wood delicious scents that must come with a warning–entices me to turn to him.

And… Huzzah.

Smoldering dark eyes with a hint of humor and gentleness grab a hold of mine.

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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