People on infomercials fascinate me. They stand there, holding some product or other in their hands and within the space of thirty seconds or thirty minutes (however much air time they are paying for)they put their heart and soul into convincing whoever is watching that their life is incomplete without this item. That if they would only purchase this item for the nominal sum of $9.99, their lives will change for the better, people will flock to them, anxious to be regarded as their friend. They will be taller, thinner, smarter, younger, something, anything that was beyond their reach without this item. Not only that, but wait, there’s more—At which time the super-energized  seller will double the offer, making it (and you) twice as attractive. And they say all this with a straight face. The bottom line is that they are promoters of themselves and the handy-dandy item they are pushing oh so energetically.

I can’t do that.  I have always had trouble selling myself or anything I’ve produced.  Oh, I’m very good about making recommendations when it comes to someone else or a general product I’ve had nothing to do with other than using it (I can tell you the best things to use for cleaning your bathtubs and smudge marks from the walls and which vacuum cleaner will go on working after a year’s use). But as far as something I’ve produced, well that’s another story. This goes way back to when I used to macramé things for people (I once made a table with a place for glass and everything, no easy feat). I’d charge them for the materials, but just couldn’t make myself charge them for my time, no matter how long I spent on it.  And the only way I sold at all was through other people’s word of mouth. I couldn’t “sell” my own wares.  I didn’t feel I had the right to intrude myself into their lives like that.

This said, with still no gift for self-promotion, I would like to direct the entire reading world’s attention to my 200th  book, CAVANAUGH REUNION. From my limited research, very few writers have had 200 books published (the number’s higher if you count books outside of Harlequin) and I am rather proud of that.  That the milestone book is another episode in the Cavanaugh saga is an added bonus (at least to me). I have fallen in love with this extended, rambling family of law enforcement agents and so, I’m told, have a lot of the readers which makes this doubly exciting for me.  In short, what I’m trying to say is: Go buy it. You’ll like it.  But wait, there’s more---(as in more Cavanaughs on the way).

Thanks for reading!

Marie