What is this madness? A blog from me on a Saturday? Crazy I know, but these are not normal times we live in. For a start, it feels like a Sunday due to the Goodness of the Friday I just had.
What is the reason for this earth shattering deviation from the comforting grip of routine and normality? Well, I’ll tell you.
Some weeks ago, I undertook a detailed and extensive teaser marketing campaign, as I said…
“As some sort of teaser marketing campaign, I shall …..erm…tease you by letting you know that I am working on a “secret project” at the moment and at some point soon I may reveal it to you. As an added bonus one or two of you might even give a toss.”
All none of you picked up on this, and I was inundated with absolutely no enquiries as to what I was up to. As teaser marketing campaigns go, it may not have been the most successful in the history of advertising.
Weighed down by the massive sense of expectation this campaign created, I have been working hard on this project, and can now reveal all to you.
As I said at the time, sadly it is not the annual booking of our holiday. If it were that would be the least surprising reveal since Duncan from Blue announced he was gay. It is holiday related, and is in fact the news that I am now a published author!
That sounds grander than it actually is, as frankly anyone can be a published author as long as you can figure out the labyrinth of complexity involved in Amazon’s self publishing programme. But still, published I is.
So it is with great pleasure that I can reveal to you all my first (and probably only) book, Mkingdon’s Tales of Family, Food and Florida.
Don’t worry, I’m not trying to fund our next trip with the sales of this book. Believe me, once Amazon and the tax man have had their share I would need the population of China to buy a couple each to be able to fund more than the taxi to the airport!
It is more that I have been meaning to do this for a while now, mainly to preserve them forever on somewhere other than a certain Disney forum. Who knows when that might blow up or self-destruct in a fire-ball of reclining seats, tipping and right-wing views? If it did, all the work I had put into these would be lost and I couldn’t have that. I spend less and less time on there now, so felt that I needed to reclaim them for myself, and of course if I sell a couple (I have already bought one copy, so just one more sale to reach my target) at the same time then that would of course be lovely.
It’s a big book, and should represent decent value for the (random) price. (Amazon’s pricing engine is slightly more complex than space travel). With ten year’s worth of holidays in it, the page count is as impressive as the photo quality isn’t. Amazon’s file size restrictions mean they have to be a thumbnail of a thumbnail!
Some of the grammar and spelling will not win any awards. I have tidied them up a little, but you will still find typos and the like, but hey, that all adds to the charm, doesn’t it??
So, please tell your friends, and even your enemies that such a thing exists, and if any of you are kind enough to invest in a copy, that in itself would be incredible, but should you even enjoy it, then that is what the review system is for on Amazon so don’t be shy to add one!
So there we go, I finally got my arse in gear and created a book from stuff what I wrote. Enjoy! We all enjoyed making the holidays that are in it.
Till the next time….
Mkingdon's Blog 
I’m definitely buying one! My sis will too. We love reading all your trip reports and blogs. Good on you x
Lovely, thank you so much!
Congrtatulations Craig x Just went to order the book and it’s only on Kindle and I haven’t got one of those. Will there be a paper edition?
I doubt it Beryl, the costs are crazy. Do you have a smartphone in the house? You can download the Kindle app and read ebooks that way?
you can also download the kindle software to work on your pc http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/kindle/pc/download
I will be buying a copy!
Thank you!!
What a fabulous idea. Having read a few of you trip reports ,we ventured to The Hilton Daytona Beach for an overnight stay and had the pleasure of a 3 destination trip to Miami, Gulf coast and Orlando with an overnighter at the HRH.
Your tales inspired us to travel further afield. Thanks ,I look forward to the book.
Is it in ‘real book’ form or only Kindle? I’m a luddite and refuse to give up paper books 😦
I doubt it Myra! The costs involved are scary, especially for the three of four I might shift 🙂
I’ve downloaded the kindle app on my phone now….I will use that! I hope you realise the huge dent this has made in my principles 😉
I am humbled and honoured!
As the youth would say….Totes Amazeballs.
Cant wait to press “one click buy” on amazon.
Well done Craig
Thanks Michelle. I’m a little bit blown away by the response to be honest!
Wow…….that will be going on my Kindle!
Must admit though I would much rather be reading 2013’s trip report! :(…..you never know, the year is young, still time for you to book!
Congratulations, I can’t wait to start reading
Indeed, never say never!! 🙂
We all said you should publish your trippies and now you have. it would be very naughty of us all to tell you to do it then not support you. I for one will be ordering one soon as soon as I my kindle has finished charging (it is plugged in as we speak but the wifi is hit and miss where it is). Good luck with the book Craig…it could well be on they best sellers list before you know it :-). As for a paperback edition…I would buy that too. I wonder how Catherine Ryan Howard of Mousetrapped fame found getting her book published in paper as a self published author. Wonder if she was able to do it a cheaper/different way? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind giving you some info if you contacted her.
Thanks Carol, for that and your lovely comments and support on the stuff that I do. It really is appreciated. I have been taken aback by the response to be quite frank.
I’m off to look for it Craig. Like you I am not going ‘home’ this year. It’s not good. I keep waiting for my Sunday night reading I do in between Hawaii five o and ncis LA to tell me you’ve booked and I can get even more depressed ready for Monday morning!
I am also a luddite who has refused to buy a kindle. However, I have just downloaded the app for my iphone and bought the book. I am going to read it on the plane over to Florida in 5 weeks time! Can’t wait!
Congratulations and might i add about time too, ) Off to load the Kindle app just got to have a copy 🙂
xx
I’d get at least one printed in paper, for posterity and for your family. I think the work you’ve done for the kindle format, can probably be sent straight to Blurb and they would print it.
Congrats on the book, just bought a copy to read on my flight to Orlando today 😀
well its about time! All your trippies have been amazing! New Kindle reading for me!
Fantastic, well done Craig…I have enjoyed all your trippies and they have entertained me since I first Dibbed in 2007…i will be buying one .
So glad to hear this but was immediately dissapointed to hear it’s only on Kindle , I still like to hold a book in my hand..Perhaps if you sell loads a major book seller will print it for you…I could get my sister to download to her Kindle but she is swanning off to France until June. But it sounds like you could sell dozens over the holiday weekend …We might see another trip out of you yet..
Thanks Pam. I believe you can do the kindle thing on your PC too.
About time Craig! This will keep me amused on my train journey down to Cornwall in a few weeks time. I’m suffering from withdrawal symptoms as well as we have not been since 2009.
Well done! I’m so looking forward to reading it. Off upstairs to download right now!
Congratulations Craig. I look forward to revisiting your travel exploits and chuckling away to myself in public!!! Lol.
Well done Craig. I’ve had many a chuckle over your reports on the Dibb over the years, even printed some off to take with me when i last flew to Florida. Just bought it matey.
Congratulations Craig!!
I look forward to revisiting your trip reports and chuckling away to myself whilst those around me look puzzled…………no change there, then.
Wow – Fab. Well done you. Looking forward to buying this and re-living some of your trips.
Congratulations! Very excited to read this as I’ve loved your trip reports! I will be purchasing it later today, best if luck with it!
Love reading your trip reports and have just downloaded your book to my kindle. I shall also be recommending to the family oop north – Westhoughton to be precise for them to read in preparation for our upcoming trip. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us through your blog and reports, they make me smile over and over.
Debbie
Congratulations Craig, what’s planned next, a virtual book signing maybe?
That’s great, will certainly buy a copy. Is their a Williams family signed Limited Edition available?
Well done Craig can you sign a post it note to put on the back of our new Kindle that way I can have a signed copy of you book
Purchased first thing this morning to show my support. Also as you might be too polite to pimp your wares on the Dibb, I just did it for you ;0) (in trip index thread)
Fabulous, thank you!
Well all I can say is ‘About time too!’ Sorry to hear that it won’t fund a trip this year though. 😦
Off to download it to my kindle and as others have suggested, it will be ideal to read on a plane to Florida.
Craig I love your trip reports – there I am in bed with a glass of red and my iPad, smile on my face , mesmerised not hearing anything that is going on around me -I’m sure my fella thinks I’m reading 50 shades again – I am definitely going off to amazon to order your book, hope I can download the app on my iPad as I don’t have a kindle
Thanks for writing this
I bet researching a subject for a book has never been so enjoyable.
I hope it’s a big success for you.
just wanted to say ” How Fab” myself and daughter have read your reports for years and they mirror our trips over the years as we all got older and wiser, yes we even saw you and the girls one year on the boat at the beach club! if I knew then you were going to be famous I would have got you to sign by backpack! Best Wishes, off to buy a copy for me and daughter now so we can laugh out load again
just read this and off to buy a copy asap! nice one Craig! now I can finally tell some of my friend that they can easily read the stuff I have been laughing at and going on about for years lol x
hi craig
just ordered my copy as i have enjoyed your trippies and blogs for a while now, they make me smile and you remind me of my husband in some ways, how you are with the girls and your wife saying they get on your nerves and hog the bathroom and spend too much money etc but we all know you love them dearly and wouldnt have it any other way just like my beloved, anyway i wish you much success and hope you sell lots, looking forward to a good chuckle
kind regards heather (floridays on the dibb)
Hi Craig,
Having read some of your trip reports before I am definitely interested to get this book however, is it only available for Kindle? I don’t have one, I do have an iPad though…
Hi, if you have an iPad there is a free Kindle app in the App Store, or this link from Amazon details all the available apps.
Ah brilliant, that’s tonight’s task then 🙂
My wife still laughs at the feminine cream incident from a few years ago!