Unlike Vincenzo Lancia, I haven't an ounce of Italian blood in me; I liked going to school; I have never desired to work on engines or get my hands dirty. So what in the world do I have in common with one of Italy's first car makers?

Vincenzo Lancia believed his products stood on their own. Marketing was not for him. While I do believe there is a place for marketing and I'm willing to do what I can do well, I absolutely agree with Mr. Lancia that word-of-mouth advertising is the best, most effective way to sell a product. Make something people want to talk about, and you'll sell well.

That's what Lancia did. Rather than making a huge quantity of motor cars back when they were just becoming affordable and the rage, he concentrated on quality and dependability. He balanced producing enough cars with making them affordable but kept the quality high with innovations that made his cars not only drive well, they looked good. Eventually, by consistently producing an innovative and practical product, European car buyers began to notice.

And Lancia never spent a dime on advertising.

The secret, I'm convinced, is consistently offering a good product. That's why it's so important for authors to make their next book there best.

Something I hope is true of Bees In The Butterfly Garden (due to start shipping in June for an official July 1 release date) and also what I'm reminding myself as I contemplate a new project . . .