Well, I h ave taken a break from the internet and especially from my own pursuits...the heat gets to me. so do other pressing concerns.

Nonetheless, like the original Stehaufmaennchen, I also get back onto my feet - now and then.

I was tempted to let loose my opinions re debt and government shenanigans, grandstanding and loss of all common sense..oh was I ever! But I refrained. What good is one single voice in a sea of mindless babble?

(In case you wonder: the thing to do when you are in over your head financially is to make a list of priorities and to stop borrowing! You spend on the necessities - your family or your nation come first. You cut out all luxuries and non-essentials.)

OK...despite all that and more: I need to focus on my own pursuits...I am not close to fulfilling my own needs.

Here is one important thing to start with:

With all due respect to all readers and reviewers - truly, I appreciate your feedback and help! - I must declare now and many more times: I do not write for female readers!

Correction: I do not write *only* for female readers.

I never did and never will.

The concept of writing exclusively for women ... that is an artificial thing invented and cultivated by the American Publishing industry.

For marketing purposes.

This need to place every product - art included - under a label and every creative person into a niche is and has been so compelling that someone like me is lost.

A hundred years ago there was some pulp fiction, some periodicals also..which were aimed at the female reader, but generally...would you think Agatha Christie or Mary Stewart wrote only for women readers? or Jane Austen or Colette?

Would you think that Dumas, Verne, Williams...wrote only for male readers?

Good grief!

So, no, I didn't use my initials now - R. D. Pounds - to hide my gender...I merely did it to differentiate the first editions written under my full name from the second editions.

(Of course, I also detest the way my first name is usually mis-pronounced :)

OK, then, this is my concern! Oh, I have had the enormous pleasure of receiving accolades from my male readers. I could drop the names...don't know if this would be appropriate) Just as I am very fortunate to count women of all age groups as wonderful readers and reviewers.

I am grateful to all!

There you have it.

Thanks for reading and considering my concerns...

Gina