Don't Try to Publish a Book at a Campsite

I am thrilled to announce that my fourth literary nonfiction family book, The Mystery of Margaret Booker, has been released as a Kindle e-Book. However, it was quite the experience trying to get the manuscript uploaded during a camping trip in the California coastal redwoods!

Did you know that there is weak internet in the woods? 

"Well, you're on a vacation, you shouldn't be messing with the Internet anyway!" you might say. 

I know, I know. I should be enjoying the fresh air, the hawks and crows flying about, the taller than tall redwood and cedar trees, energizing hikes through nature, the smell of campfires, the taste of s'mores, the bright stars in the sky, the nighttime warmth of our little A-frame trailer with our indoor portapotty.

The first night, we walked around the campground and decided to take it easy after setting up our trailer. We grilled steaks, had a large salad, and butternut squash. We had plenty of chocolate and port wine while we played a funky UNO-type card game, then watched the "Moonrise Kingdom" movie on the iPad, before turning in early. Our double-sized mattress, covered with a thick Ikea duvet, kept us fairly warm, but the trailer heater came on every 30 minutes to keep the internal temperature at 65 degrees (compared to 42 degrees that tent campers experienced).

The second day was a hike at Mount Tamalpais, grilled hamburgers for dinner, and the "Under the Tuscan Sun" movie.

We spent the third afternoon-to-night at my brother-in-law's beautiful home in Marin, supping on a fresh salad and grilled salmon and farrow, with cheesecake for dessert. But it was the conversation, the reminisces, the flowers in their immense garden cascading down the steep hill on which their house is perched. 

But while The Man still slept, I was up with my iPad and iPhone, sitting quietly at the kitchen table, trying to get my manuscript file to upload... with only one bar of internet reception. Aarrgghh! I had a Halloween deadline to meet. I needed my new e-book to be finalized, uploaded to Kindle Direct Publishing, approved by KDP and available for purchase on Amazon by Halloween day. I needed to include the Amazon URL on an awards competition application no later than October 31st. I "HAD" to make this work, irregardless of my desire to relax on the camping trip.

The fourth day we walked all over the Presidio in San Francisco, spending sunset on the Sausalito side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Yes, very romantic, but you can guess what I was doing in the car: trying to catch three bars of internet service! I finally gave up and got it through my head that I'd have to wait until returning home the afternoon of October 30th to my laptop. 

Suffice it to say, all worked out and The Mystery of Margaret Booker was published in the wee hours of Halloween. I met my deadline, applied for the competition, and got to bed, happily exhausted, at 3 AM on Halloween morning.