Helen's Concerto Is Being Downloaded!

I shouldn't get so excited about this, but according to the Smashwords records, 109 copies of Concerto have been downloaded already, and probably at least partially read!

The unfortunate part---as those of you who have read at least a few pages of Concerto would know already---is that that early part isn't very exciting, and readers are not likely to keep reading, unless they already know enough about the Helen story to do so.  And there is no surprise ending; there is no sex worth speaking of, and---there; I've probably knocked a hole in my own boat right there---this story is not chick lit at its best.  I do get the impression that this is exactly what chick-lit is supposed to be, but that it is really terrible chick-lit, because there are so few guys featured in the story.

OK; just to make this post informative, let's mention all the males that I can remember who appear in the Helen stories:

John Nordstrom, Helen's father.  He's an ultra-quiet father figure, not based on anyone I know!
Tom Krebs, Janet's father, and Old Elly's husband.  He is a sweet guy, and (in contrast to John Nordstrom) is based on practically all the older gentlemen in my family.
Jason Kolb, Janet's husband.  I tried to make him a believable character, but for reasons of brevity, all the Jason material has been ripped out (sad face); and there really isn't any reason to put them back in.  Jason is a sweetheart.
Richard Wallace, Ph.D., Pat's husband, and Lisa's dad.  He's the President of Helen's college, but dies in the year she takes off from college.
William Knowlden (Geppetto), the instrument-maker, who is instrumental in Helen's career taking off.
John Nordstrom Jr, Helen's half-brother, generally referred to as Little John.  A goofy guy, who committed some indiscretion that really, really pissed off Helen.  The fact that she was upset is recorded in the files, but what caused it is completely forgotten.  I really should remove all traces of the supposed animosity between the half-siblings.  John ends up being quite a charming guy, and Gena has a small crush on him.
Suresh, Lalitha's son.  All I have said about him was that he was quite bright, clever in the way of engineers, generally; very shy, devoted to his crazy wife, Trish, and the father of little Megan Grace, who has some cognitive disability that is not spelled out.  (Megan Grace loves everybody, if that is a disability.)
Jeffrey Gibson.  He has a Master's degree in music, and is a capable keyboard musician, and a music educator.  He is the father of James Nordstrom Gibson, Helen's baby boy, and the son of Olive and Walter Gibson.
Bert Frederickson, D.Ed, how could I forget?  Principal of Ferguson School, who gives Helen a job when she is horribly pregnant, and on the run.
Lord George Woodford.  He's Rain's dad.  Most of the material having to do with him is gone; I wish it wasn't!  He's a sweet old boy.
Matt Brooks, the brother of Maryssa, and the son of Diane Elman Brooks, the famous  portrait photographer.
Marcus Gustavson, a guy Gena meets at the beach.  He likes Gena and Kristen so much, he transfers to their school.
David Powers, DVM, the veterinary surgeon, and father of little Ruth Powers, and husband of Dr. Amy Salvatori.
Joe, driver and security man for Galaxy Studios, and ultra-loyal Helen fan.
James John Jeffrey Nordstrom Gibson.  This long name was intended entirely in fun; the little guy isn't pompous in the least!  This is the price Helen pays for not taking the Gibson name, and marrying Jeffrey!  But Jeffrey and Barbara are a good pair, even though I don't give Barb a lot of time in the stories.  She basically lives entirely in On The Run.

Hmm.  Well, that's a lot of guys, I must admit, but compared to the women in the story, they're fewer, and unimportant.

I wish there was some way you readers could write to me!  (There has to be; at least one reader wrote to me, but I have no clue how they managed it!  It was done so that I did not receive their e-mail, so there must be some mechanism in Blogger than permits people to write privately to the blog owner.)

Kay