The Great Printer Debacle: Indie Author vs. HP, Round Three

If you’ve been following along, you already know my printer didn’t just die — it went out in a blaze of dramatic, slow‑motion failure that took my entire workflow hostage. Nearly two months without a printer or scanner in a house where both are basically life support? That’s not an inconvenience. That’s a full‑blown plot twist.

Shipping labels, contracts, forms, drafts — all of it stacked up like a paper‑based rebellion. And the worst part? My Book 3 cover art was trapped in limbo, waiting to be scanned and digitized so I could keep moving forward. When you’re an indie author, there’s no “send it off for finalization.” It’s just you, your tools, and whatever chaos the universe throws at your office equipment.

When HP finally sent me a “replacement,” I thought the nightmare might be ending. Spoiler: it wasn’t. The printer they shipped was brand‑new… and completely broken. Dead on arrival. No signs of life. No chance of revival. Just a very expensive paperweight.

And because HP apparently wanted to test the limits of my patience, their solution wasn’t to send another new printer like my contract promised. No. They offered me a refurbished one instead — a used machine — as if that was an equal exchange. Absolutely not.

Don’t get my meaning twisted. I am all for reuse, recycle, repurpose — truly. But there is no universe in which I’m paying the price of a brand‑new printer and accepting a refurbished one in return. Not happening. Not today, not ever.

So, the only way forward was to start over. I had to create an entirely new HP account using my business email, sign a brand‑new contract, and let them cancel the original one since it was still within the 30‑day window. Meanwhile — and this part still blows my mind — they still haven’t sent me the return label for the broken printer they shipped at the beginning of this whole ordeal. That box is sitting here like a cursed relic I’m apparently responsible for until someone at HP remembers it exists.

But — finally — a real, brand‑new printer is on its way. And by the time this post goes live, I should be getting it that same day, ready to plug in, set up, and resurrect my entire workflow.

Which means Book 3, in my Warriors of Anaa series, can move forward again. YAY!

The cover art is ready — thanks to my hubby. The moment the new printer lands, I can scan the final pieces, digitize everything, and get back into the production rhythm I’ve been missing for weeks. It’s not the timeline I planned, but indie publishing rarely respects the timeline you planned. It respects grit, caffeine, and the ability to pivot when technology betrays you.

So here we are — back on track, bruised but not beaten, and inching closer to the moment I can finally show you the cover for Actions Not Words. It’s coming. Slowly. Chaotically. But it’s coming.

And honestly? After the last two months, that feels like a victory.

Have you ever had tech sabotage your entire workflow for nearly two months? Tell me your horror stories in the comments — I know I’m not the only one who’s gone twelve rounds with a printer. And if you’re catching up on the Warriors of Anaa series while I wrestle with HP, now’s the perfect time to dive into Books 1 and 2 before Book 3 hits.

Warriors of Anaa:

1. Tormented Souls https://a.co/d/0fcgIsYc (Kali & King Idris)

2. Breaking Chains https://a.co/d/012M2NZV (General Dasik & Sarah)

3. Actions Not Words (Silence & Danak) Coming Soon!