Susan Speaks: The Small but Super-Secret Project!

Ever since I put The Demo Tapes: Year 1 out, back in November of 2008, I have asked for one simple thing for my birthday: royalties.

Okay, I ask for iTunes gift cards, too.

But I can hardly ask you guys to buy me iTunes gift cards, any more than I can ask family and friends to buy yet more copies of my books. If I do that, I turn into one of those loser authors who sells more copies to family and friends than to actual readers, even if the family and friends hand those books over to people who become actual readers.

This year, I decided to make it easier for y’all to grant my birthday wish.

This is the Super Secret part of the day’s event. Because until now, I’ve been coy about my birthday. “Pick a day in April,” I’d say. That would be it. You’d never be wrong and I could continue on my merry way, absolutely loathing my birthday.

It’s not the whole getting a year older thing that inspires such disgust and hatred in me. Nope. It’s that no matter how low my expectations, they are NEVER met.

I’m changing that this year. I want royalties for my birthday (and the rest of the year, but let’s start small and special, shall we?) and so I have thrown up a charming little short story at Smashwords and Amazon. It’s called Mannequin. It’s the story of Lynne, whose dad takes her shopping with him at a high-end men’s boutique. Lynne likes to sit at the feet of the mannequin in the window and dream of what he’d be like if he were real. One day, a stranger walks in. For Lynne, nothing will be the same ever again.

You may recognize the stranger. You may not. But you’ll have to read the story to find out if you do or not.

C’mon. 99c. I bet it’s the cheapest birthday present you’ve ever bought.

Besides, how many birthday presents let YOU keep the goods?