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Paperback is now available

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This last week was a milestone for me! I make no qualms about being a newbie author so I am thrilled to have my first book now available in paperback. It was officially published a few days ago and is now available on the Amazon site.

When I first decided to put a few ideas together fifteen or twenty years ago, it wasn’t meant to be a big deal. I was just venting over my divorce and writing my feelings down seemed to help a lot. Four years ago, I published a much shorter version of the book on Amazon Kindle and forgot about it. It was just this year that I decided to revisit the thing, beef it up and republish it as Starting Over after Midlife Divorce. So I still technically think of it as my first book.

Anyway, this is my first paperback and that is pretty cool. I know, I know, a lot of people are cranking out fifteen or twenty books a year but I enjoyed the process of making this first book and am really enjoying seeing it up on Amazon. It’s all about the little things in life.

Somehow, I doubt I will be writing many, if any, more books about divorce but will probably continue to focus on midlife and beyond. After living abroad for more than a decade as an “over fifty”, another book idea is already building.

So yeah, I’m excited about this first book but hope to finish many more in the future!

BlogReflections

It’s Been a Long Time…

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Ok, so it has been over a year since I posted anything here. Life seemed to get in the way! Between my writing for International Living and the process of finishing publishing my book, this blog has definitely taken a back seat. Anyway, I will attempt to start posting again now that life has begun to quiet down once again.

We are now on the second half of our third year in Peru and our second year on the north coast. I realize that once you have lived abroad as long as we have…over a decade…day-to-day events are just that; day-to-day events. The honeymoon period is over. We spend time at the beach, we travel to nearby locations and we spend a lot of time just chilling. But isn’t that what retirement is supposed to be? Or should I say semi-retirement?

I will soon be removing ads from this page, if they are not already gone. Instead, I will go back to just posting about our travels and our latest adventures. I have decided that I can only juggle two or three things at once! 2019 is the year when I am going to try to focus and making any money from this site is something that I just don’t have time to worry about.

As I stated above, I have published Starting Over after Midlife Divorce as an ebook and as a paperback. Yeah, I’ve had an initial draft around since our divorce almost 20 years ago but this year I decided to actually put some effort into it, beef up the original content and turn it into a “real book.” And I am pretty happy with the results.

The free ebook version shot to #1 in both my categories and now that I am charging a big $3 for it, it has varied from #15 or so to #100, depending on the day. Amazon is a fickle place and the position of every book on the bestseller list changes with the wind. Or I should say, fluctuates by the hour, depending on how many people borrow it, download it or review it.

The most difficult chore is getting people to review the book. And supposedly, reviews are important for the Amazon algorithm. But I shouldn’t despair. It’s my first book and it’s only been out for about three weeks. We’ll see what happens in the next month or so.

I think I’ve decided that the people making the most money on indie books are the people telling indie authors how to sell their books, or helping in the process. As I have read countless times, nobody gets rich writing books! Anyway, it was a fun project and I am about to start writing another one.

Stay tuned for more posts about my writing and our travels.

BlogFood

The Five Best Places in the World for Street Food

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mexico street food

Mexico City, Mexico

You definitely won’t go hungry in Mexico City. Stalls line the streets and sell any refreshment you could possibly want, from beverages to breakfast. Expect freshly made food, cooked right in front of you and packed with vibrant flavours you can’t find anywhere else.

If you only eat one thing…try tlacoyos. These tasty blue corn masa (dough) disks are stuffed with your choice of braised pork belly, requéson cheese, or mashed fava beans, cooked on an open-air griddle, then topped with grilled cactus paddles, more cheese, and your choice of salsa.

Feeling brave? Any cut of meat can be used as a taco filling, including de cabeza — the head of a cow. The vendor will carve your serving directly from the cow’s skull, then top it with rice, beans, and cheese.

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

vietnam street food

There’s more to Vietnam than their famous pho (although it’s certainly worth a try!) Vinh Khanh Street is home to a collection of street food stalls and each one has its own speciality dish, so it’s the perfect opportunity to try something new. Expect plenty of meat, fresh herbs and vegetables, and delicious seasonings like chilli and lemongrass.

If you only eat one thing…Bánh xèo is a crispy, savoury pancake filled with pork, shrimp, onions, and bean sprouts, then topped with your choice of herbs and dipped in fish sauce. Its distinctive yellow colour is caused by the turmeric in the batter.

Feeling brave? Read More

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