I Need a Third Signal for my Truck

Apparently left and right turn signals–and not using–them doesn’t tell other drivers enough about which direction I intend to go. There is this one intersection (where I may or may not being going to McDonald’s) and the light feeds out of a parking lot. Almost every time I try to cross a very busy street using the light, I almost get hit by drivers trying to turn in front of me. Apparently the lack of a turn signal isn’t enough to telegraph my intent to go straight. Honking helps, but obviously, I need an “I’m not turning” signal that would tell oncoming drivers, without any chance of misunderstanding, that yes, I do intend to option my right of way by proceeding straight across the street. Call me crazy (and hungry) for not turning, but I have this weird need to go straight (to a bacon-egg-and cheese biscuit). I don’t do it every day, but when I want to go straight, I want to go straight. 


Okay, rant over and if someone could work on this important safety feature, I’d appreciate it. 


Not much TV to talk about, since the season is winding down. Big Bang Theory broke up Penny and Leonard and if they don’t get them back together, I might stop watching. I LIKE them together. I liked that there wasn’t a huge focus on THEM and they just filtered it into the rest of the story lines of the episodes. And I’m really disappointed in Will Wheaton for breaking them up. Wesley Crusher would never have been so shabby.


I finished Lost Fleet: Victorious and liked it. Good ending to this part of the series (though I understand more books are planned!). Holding Bewitched and Betrayed  by Lisa Shearin as a reward for getting a lot done on my book.


Okay, another rant coming here. What is the DEAL with major publishers? How can they NOT get that their customers are READERS and not booksellers? Yes, bookstores buy their books TO SELL TO READERS. And if bookstores don’t sell those books, they send them back. READERS ARE CUSTOMERS. I bought a digital reading device, because I like digital reading and I like clicking on a link and having a book arrive on my reader in under a minute. It’s like magic. Publishers are MAKING MONEY FROM READERS WHO USE DIGITAL DEVICES and yet they persist in treating us like subversive enemies to books and publishing. 


In the past week, I’ve tried to buy two books. That’s two books I was willing to pay MY money to buy. Could I buy them? Only if I bought print and waited for them arrive by mail. Digital editions were available IF I LIVED IN ANOTHER COUNTRY. So a publisher who does business in MY country isn’t willing to sell me a digital book but WILL sell to a reader in another country. Great. 


I DID NOT BUY EITHER BOOK. And I probably won’t buy either book, because I will forget that they exist long before they become available for purchase for MY digital reader. 


I have a ton of books on my digital reader, but I was willing to buy two more, because I’m a READER. I like books. I don’t like publishers who won’t let me buy them in digital format unless I live in Afghanistan. If you don’t want me as your customer, fine. I’ll shop the indie publishers who not only like me as a customer, but let me buy my digital books free of DRM so I can move them between my digital readers (yes, I have more than one.)

Okay, second rant concluded. Blame it on fact that I woke up at four a.m. Yes, four a.m. It was a good news/bad news early wake up. Bad news, I was awake at four a.m. Good news, I was thinking about how to work out a gnarly plot point for my new novel and I think I did. Now I just need to stay awake long enough to write it!


Girl Gone Nova seems to be selling well in Kindle format, my thanks to everyone who has bought the book! I’m so excited to finally have a new novel out that I know I might be a bit annoying. I’m still waiting for the print editions to appear on online bookstores, but apparently these sites are like watched pots. They don’t boil. 


May your rants be few and your books plentiful!
Perilously yours,
Pauline