Let me begin this blog by saying, Happy New Year! Hope you all had a safe and happy New Year’s Eve. We spent a quiet and restful evening at home.
Now to the topic of this blog post…
Maybe it’s my age—but I appreciate a paper book, and I REALLY appreciate large print. All of the Haunting Danielle books are available in large print, but I admit they are often a little pricy compared to the regular paperbacks, but that is because those large print Haunting Danielle books have over 500 pages each. The actual printing cost is out of my control.
The Unlocked Heart series is now available in large print paperback, yet those tend to be more affordable. A typical Haunting Danielle book runs around 80,000 words, while a book in my Unlocked Heart series is around 50,000 words.
I recently ordered some of the large print Unlocked Heart books, and they arrived the other day. While I don’t keep every one of my titles in stock—aside from my personal copies—I have some, in case a reader wants a signed copy—or an inscribed copy.
A signed copy would simply include my signature, while an inscription would include a little more, such as, “To John Smith, Happy Birthday, Bobbi Holmes.”
Purchasing a signed or inscribe copy directly from us typically costs less than the full online price.
To learn more about purchasing a signed or inscribed copy of Haunting Danielle or an Anna J. McIntyre title, go here, or email us at robeth@robeth.com, and let us know the title, and if you want it in large print or paperback. Be sure to give us your shipping information, so we can calculate the shipping cost if we have your title.
At the moment we have a number of large print and regular print copies of books from the Haunting Danielle series and the Unlocked Hearts. We also have some paperbacks from the Coulson Family Saga series, but those are not yet available in large print. However, they will be available in audiobook before the end of the year!
As 2019 winds down, our family enters an uncertain New Year. As many of my readers know, my mother lives with us. She turns 92 in April. Mom has always been my number one beta reader and super fan.
We called the paramedics on Saturday, after I began wondering if she might have had a stroke. I would have taken her to the hospital myself, but Mom was having difficulty standing and there was no way I could take her myself.
As it turned out she did have a stroke—we found out yesterday after the MRI results came in. Unfortunately, the window for medication to help counter adverse side effects had closed, as we believe she may have had the stroke earlier in the week—but we missed the signals.
Part of my problem, I tend to be in denial when it comes to evaluating Mom—I don’t even want to consider my beloved mother is slipping away. And so, I often fail to see what is right before me.
All Mom wants to do is come home. She hates it at the hospital. Several years ago, after she broke her hip, she had to go in rehab for a couple of months. I have to say, she was a trooper about it, but I know she hated it, and I can understand why. In The Ghost and Little Marie the care home she stayed in (not any of the fine staff who cared for her) inspired the story.
I want Mom home too, but I know there will be lots of changes coming our way. I’m not sure how self-sufficient she will be at home. This afternoon I will be calling to get more information on care support services.
People are often praising us for taking care of Mom—and my mother-in-law who lived in our guest house before she passed away. However, when I think of someone deserving praise for caring for an elder parent, I think of a friend of mine, who continues to care for a mother who failed him as a child—to say the least.
As for my mother, she has always been a wonderful mom. And while not a perfect person—none of us are—I would never have wanted another mother, not even if I could trade her for my beloved Grandma Hilda—and that is saying a lot.
(Above photo take of Mom, October 2019. Lunch out after a trip to the beauty shop.)
If you advertise on Facebook, you might want to consider reading this too.
At first glance, Facebook is an advertiser’s dream. The data Facebook has on its users gives them an unprecedented edge in delivering ads to the most ripe buyers—often people who have recently searched for similar items.
As a buyer, those ads never bothered me—or the fact I knew I was being targeted by the data I had fed Facebook over the years. I figured it simply helped me find items I was already looking for.
I erroneously assumed I had a level of protection—because of all those comments from satisfied cusomers, right? If buyers said the product sucked, I could pass. Right?
Okay, here is my story.
I found an item on Facebook I thought would be terrific for our motor home. It was a magnetized shelf that went on the refrigerator. According to all the comments (and there were lots of them), it worked great.
Actually, that part was correct. When I finally received the shelf—almost a month later—it did have amazing magnetic power. However, it was MUCH smaller than the product description of the item I had purchased.
According to the ad, the shelf I was purchasing was five-inches deep. The one I received, was only two-inches deep. The item I purchased was advertised to hold a roll of paper towels—the rack I received was far too narrow to hold a roll of paper towels. In fact, it was not just smaller than the item I ordered, it was a completely different shelf.
When I complained through their Facebook store, I was told they would send me my refund—after I paid to have the item shipped back to CHINA. I then requested they send me a paid shipping label for the return. After all, other companies do that. Plus, why should I pay to return an item I never ordered? The item they sent me was clearly NOT what I had ordered. It would be like ordering cowboy boots, but they send slippers. Sure, they both go on your feet, but they are two different items.
They never responded to my request for a postage paid shipping label. I filed a complaint on PayPal, and the best they could do was a token refund.
However, what irritated me most, when I returned to the Facebook page I had purchased the item https://www.facebook.com/LazyShack-Shopping-360012698045641/ all those positive comments I had read when I had first seen the item—gone. All of them.
And now, there were posted reviews—negative reviews that had come in AFTER I had made my purchased. They all reported the same thing. Basically, a bait and switch. The company behind the Lazy Shack Facebook page, according to my PayPal receipt, is Zola Technology Limited.
I also found a SECOND Facebook shop for this company:
I reported what I consider consumer fraud to Facebook, but the stores remain on Facebook. Not sure if Facebook is still accepting their ads. Since I reported Lazy Shack, I suspect they will stop targeting me for the ads. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find ANY contact information for consumer complains regarding Facebook ads, aside from a form to fill out and submit.
So what have I learned? If I find something really neat through a Facebook ad, I will go to Amazon and see if I can find the product. That shelf I wanted, it is on Amazon Prime, so they would have paid my shipping. And I know with Amazon, they stand behind their products. At least, that has been my experience.
I am sad to discover Facebook is obviously an unsafe place to buy from vendors. I am still curious as to what happened to all those positive comments I had initially read. They had misled me…and they were the reason I made my purchase.
I will never again buy directly from a Facebook link. And if I was a relatively unknown vendor, wanting to find buyers, I would advertise my Amazon page. I would not take a potential customer to my company page, for fear of losing a skeptical buyer, like me.
***UPDATE I am thrilled to report PayPal sided in my favor and refunded my money. YAY PayPal!
