When people ask me where I’m from, I feel apologetic that I don’t have a one-word answer. “Well,” I say, “I’m a nomad. I house sit for people who live in places that interest me.”

You wouldn’t believe how many respond with some version of, “Wow! That sounds amazing! How does that work? How do you find places?”

Or they ask right off the bat, “What happens when you don’t have a place to be?” 

Every once in a while someone says in a sort of whine, “Oh, I’m jealous. You’re living the life I want!”

So for a couple of years, I’ve been tossing notes about house sitting into a folder.

Then this past February when house sitting in Albuquerque, I got a list of non-credit adult classes from the University of New Mexico. One was for a three-session, two-hours on Saturday class on e-publishing. I signed up. 

It was taught by an accomplished writer—an engineer who has written 24 novels under three different names, most in the romance and erotica genres. That was a surprise. Sarah had self-published at first, gathered a substantial fan base, and then landed an agent and traditional publisher.

Expertly, Sarah shared with us the steps to the Amazon self-publishing process—which, by the way, is now called “independent publishing” by those who respect rather than denigrate self-reliance in the book industry.

So, with pride in my courage in dealing with the sometimes-perplexing technology of Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), I want to announce my new e-book:

HAPPY WITHOUT A HOME: Advice from a House-Sitting Nomad

I’m now an indie author of an ebook!

Preparing it for publication was actually easy, and a friend I made while house sitting—Donna Sicklesmith-Anderson of Sicklesmith Design—created a cover that captures “adventure” perfectly.

I’d love for you to go online and buy it here from Amazon. It’s just $3.99 at this time. If you don’t have a Kindle, no problem. Follow the instructions in the “READ ON ANY DEVICE” box on the sales page.

What’s HAPPY WITHOUT A HOME about? It’s practical advice based on my six years, so far, of living this mobile, low-cost, satisfying lifestyle. 

It has my brief story of how I was attracted to the gypsy life for a long time, but couldn’t figure out how to do that and be a responsible mother and citizen. Then after a full career, life circumstances gave me a chance to experiment with house sitting. 

It covers how to get started in house sitting; how to build contacts with homeowners; how to prepare, move in, get the critical information you need to keep a house running smoothly, take care of pets, handle crises; and how to enjoy your time in a new place. It has resources and a questionnaire for homeowners at the back. 

I think the niche market for this book is solo or couple retirees who aren’t location-bound; young people who want open-ended travel and can prove they’re clean and responsible; people who want to travel between jobs; those with digital sources of income; and die-hard, self-reliant lovers of affordable adventure and exploration.

It’s also a great resource for homeowners who want house sitters to have a good experience at their home.

So please, if you know people like that, feel free to send them the link to HAPPY WITHOUT A HOME, or perhaps gift them with a copy.

And if you read HAPPY and find value, I’d be honored if you’d writing an honest review on Amazon. (Plus, if you find typos, please let me know via email or the Contact page at this website. I am embarrassed by typos, but they’re challenging to catch!)

My intention with this book was to spark ideas and provide information about how to live a lifestyle that combines meeting people with exploring a range of places— safely, sanely, frugally, and productively. If my book inspires someone to live more adventurously—even temporarily—that will make my heart sing.

Ultreia y Suseia!