Since my chosen beneficiary is one catering to animal welfare, I also contacted various animal-related sites and magazines, making them aware of my books and the tie-in to a charity. Finally, I placed an ad in a national magazine for animal lovers, at a cost of $45.00.

I paid a visit to my local paper, handing over a copy of each book to a seemingly interested features editor I had contacted in advance, yet to date, she has not reviewed the books- I live in "arty" New Mexico, where local writers are not exactly news.

I left another copy with the manager of my local bookstore, followed up on my visit, all to no avail. I dropped one at the library nearly a near ago and it still isn't in the system, although no one can say why. Meanwhile, my beloved father practically peddles my books from his trunk.

By now I am running out of ideas, not to mention money. And I did not even celebrate when my publisher recently sent notification that they were eager to publish yet another of my novels.

By now, all I could see are dollar signs. And the dollars aren't coming in, they are going out.

So it is a hopeless endeavor? Should I forget about promoting my work or even forget entirely about trying to publish my books? Can I afford to continue trying to carve out a tiny place for my work in the vast and ever-growing world of literature?

I can't say whether I'm wasting my time and my money chasing a dream. Who can tell which authors will be among the lucky ones? Who can say how many books it may take until "the one" that appeals to a wide audience, if indeed that audience knows of its existence? But I will keep trying, within reason, meaning if I can do so without forfeiting my home or my car in my efforts.

Otherwise I'll never know if I might have been one of the select few and worse, I'll know that I didn't do my part to find out. Thinking up stories, sitting down and writing the books-no problem.

That part is simple. It's this other thing, the dreaded "P" word that threatens to do me in. And I don't mean "POD."