Breaking Dawn versus Sisters of Misery--It's ON!

I've only recently started the annoying writer habit of checking my Amazon.com rankings incessantly. I was warned that it might happen. I've known writers that have become OBSESSED with it. But I never thought it would happen to me. I've been pretty good about not checking it every five minutes (maybe every five hours or so). Yet, my husband has become obsessed enough for both of us. And that's not a good thing. He can't check my ranking at work, so he calls me to find out what the number is.

I've stopped answering his calls.

The first thing he asks when he walks through the door isn't "How was your day?" "How's Piper?" No, it's "What's the number?"

Perhaps it's because he works in the financial world where he deals with numbers all day long. Perhaps he's just a caring husband who is trying to support me and my career by showing interest.....lots of interest.

Whatever the case, it's starting to get to me. A little.

I've now started comparing my book, SISTERS OF MISERY, to the most popular YA novel series ever written (next to Harry Potter, of course.) Is it really fair that Stephenie Meyer's BREAKING DAWN resides in Amazon.com's highly coveted #1 spot and it hasn't even been released yet? Or that she has not one, not two, but four spots in the top 10? And six in the top 20? Is this the ONLY book that people want to read? I, myself, am a huge fan of Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight series, and I'm definitely going to buy Breaking Dawn when it comes out and (of course) see the movie Twilight.

I'm all about the Bella and Edward and Jacob love triangle. I get it. I like it. It's great. But really? Four spots in the top 10?

Am I jealous? Yes, of course. Anyone who says they aren't is lying. But these Amazon rankings are seriously driving me nuts. Especially now that my husband has gotten into it, it's really annoying.

So in closing, as of July 30th, 2008:

Breaking Dawn = #1 Amazon
Sisters of Misery - #147,967 Amazon

And my book is out! It's been out for two days!!

All I can say is, watch your back, Meyer. I'm creeping up on you.