My signature book, Five Second Rule, got a download today and I got that familiar good feeling as I got one of the highest (lowest numerically) ratings I'll ever get. In haiku you can get #1 this way, but in short stories you have to peddle and peddle and still be lucky to be in the top 300 when one is downloaded. But that's what happened tonight, so I'm celebrating a good rating (time to take advantage of it, and advertise?)

But unfortunately I also feel the resistance to starting up the marketing thing. I've been trying to finish up a book, and it'll finish, but in the meantime I'm having trouble reading, rating, putting these old books out on the market. Too much work! The world is ending, why should I be reading all this stuff?

On the other hand, as the country spirals into violence, maybe reading is the only safe thing to do.