The scene was so classic that I wondered, as I snuck up to snap the photo, if it wasn't staged! Notice the underwear: one per "hook". Photo taken in Nyons (next to a chichi restaurant. Well, that oughta show 'em!).
It is exciting to watch the numbers as this self-published book competes with the "big guys". At one point, Blossoming in Provence made it within the top 400 in book sales at Amazon.
Many of you might be curious as to how those numbers, or popularity rankings, translate into actual book sales. If an author ranks #383 (or the 383rd most popular book sold at Amazon) he or she must be selling thousands of books, right? I checked those sales details this morning and here are the facts:
…That leaves 28,000 email readers without a book!…
And thank you all for staying with me during these crucial first weeks of book marketing. I appreciate your patience—and even your interest—in the publication process. Merci beaucoup!
.
: askew, lopsided
marcher de guingois = to walk lop-sidedly
tout va de guingois = everything's going haywire
–from the National Geographic article:
"Bohemian rhapsody: on the right bank of Paris history and hip embrace…"
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE… by Kristin Espinasse
(Note: The following story was first published in 2008)
Another odd Christmas tree this year. I should have taken Mom's advice: get an artificial one! Apart from being good for the environment, those faux firs come in perfect shapes: full-bodied and symmetrical; especially, they're kilter—and not helter-skelter!
If I weren't such a procrastinator, I would have gotten the tree I wanted: Super Sapin! (Not a bird, not a plane…. ) Though our tree may not fly or save lives (it certainly won't save the earth), it does look as if it were set for take off, what with its long and HORIZONTAL arc… like a Boeing 747.
"It's lopsided!" I point out to Jean-Marc, after he has placed the tree. "Wait a minute…" I remark, suspiciously. "Didn't it come with a stand?"
"No. It didn't."
"You mean the nursery didn't have stands for sale?"
They never are! He was just trying to get out of buying a stand! Next, I discover his solution: our umbrella stand. He's swiped our umbrella stand to use for a tree brace. Pas vrai!
If it weren't so amusing—to see that tree stuffed, de guingois, into the umbrella stand like a wet parapluie—I'd scream! But I am learning to laugh at these peculiarities. Take, for example, our bathroom light fixture, the one just above the mirror. When the screw fell out, we might have replaced it. Instead, a box of aspirin was set between the light and the mirror (now, when the box of aspirin pops out, all we have to do is pick it up off the floor (easier to see than a small screw) and stick it back in its place). Ta-da!
Chez nous, it is always a balancing act… a regular circus we are! From time to time, I find myself lamenting, "Why… why can't we just be normal?" Why do I have to lean to the side in order to see our Christmas tree as it should be? Why can't our tree stand be normal looking, like the tree stands of other French families? Why do we have to treat our pine as a parasol? Still grumbling about my husband's eccentricities, I gather the fresh laundry which I have strewn around the house on every free hook or chair back or table (any freestanding structure will do). Other housewives may have hung out their clothes on the line to dry today, but I don't trust the northern wind: sacré Mistral!
Collecting some dry underwear from the fire-stoker rack beside the cheminée, and reaching for some chaussettes sèches (slung over the candelabra), I notice the look on my husband's face… but I am quick to put him back in his place; after all, it is HE who is the oddball!
However different, there we stand, united in silence, our heads leaning to the same side as we study our Christmas tree.
"It's lopsided, you know."
"Yes, Dear," my husband looks over at me. Our eyes return to the lopsided tree as we stare silently.
"Il a pris un sacré coup de Mistral!" Jean-Marc offers, and our silence dissolves into laughter.
.
French Vocabulary
pas vrai = it can't be true!
de guingois = lopsided
le parapluie (m) = umbrella
sacré Mistral = blasted Mistral (wind)
la cheminée = fireplace
chaussettes (f) sèches = dry socks
il a pris un sacré coup de Mistral = it was hit by a mighty gust of wind
Braise (left) and Smokey (right) wish everyone a lovely celebration!
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Hello Kristin! I enjoy your Blog, and would love to purchase your new book. Will it soon be on offer at amazon.fr ?
By the way, as a member of http://www.audible.com and http://www.audible.co.uk , I would like to encourage you to have your books produced as audiobooks. Such books seem to me to be the perfect sort of material for an audiobook!
All the very best to you and your fqmily, and a very luminescent holiday season.
Sincerely, Karil
Hi Karil, I need to look into getting the book available on Amazons .uk .fr and other international sites. Thank you for the encouragement to have the books produced as audiobooks. Something more to look into. Can anyone point me in the right direction for such a production? Thanks!
Having been a follower of French-word-a-day for nearly nine years it is interesting that from various comments and the publishing of your new book you see your biggest market at the US. I was looking for a pocket camera at about the same time as you but the link was for Amazon US and the model was not available in the UK. I was introduced to you by the Brits living in France so don’t forget your loyal followers this side of the pond! Joeux Noël! Bonne Année!
Oops why there is a y missing! That’s Joyeux Nöel!
I am impatiently awaiting the arrival of my two copies. One stays with me. The other goes to my sister, who has a house in Provence. What a nice holiday treat!
Joeux Noel to you and your family, Kristin.
I sympathise with your attitudes to your partner’s idiosyncracies. As you know, I am a pragmatic materialist living with a Sicilian romantic. Having been married before I am well aware that there are a couple of rules:
1. It is impossible to change your partner. Why would you want to anyway, you took him as he was, so don’t change him.
2. Never nag!!!
3. When you can, do it your way, when you can’t, accept his way. And be prepared to accept his way when he changes your way.
4. Happiness is stress-free living with someone you love.
Enjoy life all you can.
Fred.
Please please – make your book available on Amazon.co.uk
Joyeux Nöel!
Patrick, you bring up an excellent point. Fortunately, with the blog, it is possible to reach out worldwide. When it comes to selling a book, or recommending a product, it isnt as simple. It is exciting to have readers all over the world, and I am especially touched to know you have been reading for over nine years. (Jean-Marc reminded me, yesterday, that French Word-A-Day turns 10 this coming year!)
Anne, tell your sister to contact us if she would like to join our next wine-tasting 🙂
Fred in Sicily, Thanks for sharing these excellent relationship tips (ciao to Issy)
Sarah, I will make that call to CreateSpace or to Amazon and try to make the book available at Amazon.uk. If you dont see it there, please remind me!
Hi Kristin. I haven’t stopped in for awhile and have no good excuse other than to say that for some reason the pace of life seems harder to manage with age.
Anyway, this post shows how perfectly suited you and J.M. are for each other AND how important having a similar sense of humor is in a marriage as well as in life.
I’ll be reading all of the “21 days of publishing” posts over the holidays and, of course, ordering the book!!
Have a wonderful holiday.
Peace and love to all.
The photo of Braise and Smokey made my day! Very funny!!!
Bonjour Kristin,
My students and I continue to follow your every move online and I was one of those faithful readers who bought multiple copies of your book. In fact, my students’ only homework over the holiday break is to follow your thrice weekly slice of French life! Upon return we will have our usual “Mot du Jour” questions in class and the student of each section who proves to have learned the most words during the vacation will win a copy of Blossoming in Provence! The books arrived yesterday and are wrapped and ready to be won!
They will be thrilled! We even voted on the book’s cover and the one my students liked most is the one you chose!! Yippee!
We look forward to reading you in 2012,
Valencia Siff
Hi Kristi,
You are # 49 at this very moment on NEW RELEASES
on Amazon.
XOXO
MOM
Thanks, Mom, for the report! I took your suggestion and did a screenshot of the page so that I will remember this exciting moment!
Valencia, so you are one of the ones! I wondered who was buying multiple copies — and what for. Now I know! It is a dream of mine to promote this book to teachers as a fun way to teach students French (I look back to the textbooks that I had, as a student of French, and I know I would have loved to learn French this way: via short-short stories with French words in context.)
So, along with Patricks and Sarahs and a few others suggestions to make the book available in the UK, I would like to make it available to classrooms. If any teachers are reading, please help me to realize this goal!
This is for your Dad.–Edgecomb Maine USA
Good to hear you laugh.We are all a little
“de guingois “.Can’t wait for my copy to arrive .Congratulations & Happy Holiday
to you & yours.
Joan
Any chance that an e-book version will be available, like on Nook?
Juliette, I need to look into making Blossoming available for the Nook.
Sheesh, if I say I need to look into one more time, it means I really need an assistant! First — to learn how to delegate 🙂
I just discovered your blog. Wonderful! As a longtime lover and student of French, I am thrilled to discover such a great resource. Thank you! I, too, look forward to reading you in 2012.
In a difficult moment Christ becomes an anchor on which you can take a firm grip in hope. His presence is as sure as it is firm. (Hebrews 6:19)
Espérance que nous gardons comme une ancre de l’âme, sûre et ferme, et qui pénètre au-dedans du voile.
We have a very charming little bookstore here in Monument called Covered Treasures that I just love. So, taking your advice from one of your emails advising of the availability of Blossoming in Provence, I printed off the information from Amazon and took it to my bookstore for two reasons. First, I prefer to support local businesses when I can. Second, I suggested that the owner might want to take a look at it when the copy I ordered arrives. Her comment when I showed her the book info was “What a beautiful cover!”. I told her a little of your history to pique her interest. Who knows what might happen! At the very least, I’ll get my book. BTW, your picture of Braise and Smokey in today’s blog made me smile and started my day off right. Looks like we’ll have a white Christmas here on the front range of Colorado. They are calling for 6-10″ of snow tonight here to the north of Colorado Springs. Joyeux Noel to you and all your family, Kristin, and to your extended family of readers all over the world!
Your Braise and Smokey are almost as patient as William Wegman’s doggy models. Bonne anniversaire, Joyeux Noël, and Bonne année to you and your all of your family — especially that very special mother of yours!
K, I thought 4 was an excellent “round number” of copies to order of Blossoming, and to add to it, I screwed up my courage to leave a review, which was a first Amazon thing for me. Hopefully, I did not goof up with references to les chiens! MORE IMPORTANTLY, Happy, happy birthday and best wishes for the coming year. My birthday card to you comes from studying meditation with Sharon Salzburg at Kripalu this fall. It is a Metta meditation/prayer, metta meaning lovingkindness.
May you be safe
May you be happy
May you be healthy
May you live with peace and ease.
And may you and family have a lovely white! Christmas.
KRISTI DARLING –
IT’S 9:27 A.M. here in Puerto Vallarta right now…will you please call me – I will be back at the condo in 5 minutes.
XOXO
MOM
I can just see you and JM with your heads cocked at an angle admiring your tree! Very funny. Love the photo of Braise and Smokey. I signed up with Amazon so that I can do a review when I get the book. Just days away from delivery. Our high school age neighbor is studying Advanced French. I will tell his mother about your book and she can take my copy to show his teacher. Who knows?
As if to illustrate your French expression of the day, a buck with antlers on one side of his head only and with a limp is meandering through the snow is our back yard. Vraiment, il marche de guingois!