To celebrate the release of Ready, Scrap, Shoot, the fifth book in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery series (aka "Scrap-n-Craft Mystery series"), I wanted to do something really special. Something fun, something extra for my fans. So I've joined together with a dozen other mystery writers, and we're turning Friday the 13th into a lucky day for anyone who loves to read. Yep, today you can download thirteen great reads for free on Kindle.
One of the reads is a short story featuring my protagonist, Kiki Lowenstein. I named it "Kiki Lowenstein and the Purple Passion," and it's been getting five-star reviews on Amazon.
Is it lucky for you? Undoubtedly. You'll get to load up your Kindle with a fresh crop of books (and a short story!). If you don't have a Kindle, you can load the app onto your computer for free.
Will it be lucky for me? I dunno. It's a brave new world out there for authors with the advent of so many ways for readers to access our work. Since all thirteen of us are pitching in to promote our reads, I'm sure I'll attract at least a few new fans.
So why not check out these thirteen offerings? And let me know…does this sound like a good promotional idea to you? Why or why not?
Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba- After starring on a hit game show set aboard a Tall Ship, personal trainer Cassidy Novak discovers that she has attracted a stalker. Can she trust Zach Gallagher, the gorgeous newspaper photographer assigned to follow her for a local series? As things heat up with the stalker and with Zach, soon Cassidy will need to call SOS for real. "Easy read and extremely well written." -Stephenie LaGrossa, Survivor; "I could not put this book down." -Book Club Queen
Darker By Degree by Keri Knutson - A missing girl. A mysterious break-in. A brutal murder. Actress Maddie Pryce is looking for her big break, but finds herself at the center of a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. Soon she's tangled up with a persistent detective, a driven director, a playboy producer, and an unstable ingenue. Can Maddie unravel the clues before her next role is as a serial killer's victim?
Diary of Murder by Jean Henry Mead - Dana Logan's wealthy sister, Georgi, dies and Georgi's husband claims it was suicide. Dana knows her sister would never take her own life and sets out to prove it was murder, with her friend, Sarah Cafferty. During their investigation, they stumble over more bodies and place their own lives in jeopardy when they encounter a vicious drug ring.
Ghost Island by Bonnie Hearn Hill - Is Aaron a dream, or is he something much more deadly? Livia Hinson has just begun a Seminar at Sea when a storm hits their boat. Now, she is stranded with the other students on an island off the coast of California. Far away from her foster home and her heartbreak, Livia finds Aaron, the perfect love. But the only way they can be together is in her dreams.
One Small Victory by Maryann Miller - The story of one woman's courage. Suspense novel by Maryann Miller, based on a true story of a woman who infiltrated a drug ring and helped bring down a major distributor in her small Texas town. Don't discount what a mother can do to protect her children. First published in hardback, now available as an e-book and as a trade paperback.
Rock & Roll Homicide by RJ McDonnell - The 1st novel in the Rock & Roll Mystery Series finds PI Jason Duffy helping the widow of a slain rock star after she climbs to #1 in the police suspect charts. Duffy, an inexperienced former club musician, sorts through suspects ranging from band members to the Russian Mafia in this rocking whodunit. 4.67 Star Average.
Southeast Asian Quartet by William S. Shephard - Suspense and murder in Southeast Asia in the style of Somerset Maugham, these four tales evoke Singapore, Borneo, Malaya and Indochina. Perhaps you'll solve the disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Thai Silk King, missing for 35 years. Draw up a chair at the Raffles Bar and join us!
Taken by Debra Lee - Welcome to the fictitious little town of Watery, Pennsylvania where the district attorney's personal secretary, Mary Murray never planned to become a single mom or a suspect in her infant's disappearance, but she plans to find Jena before she suffers the same fate Mary's younger brother had when he was taken twelve years earlier.
The Four Last Things by Timothy Hallinan - Hired to follow a young woman, private eye Simeon Grist becomes mired in murder and a million-dollar religious scam in The Four Last Things, the first in a series of highly-praised LA private-eye novels written in the 1990s by 2011 Edgar nominee Timothy Hallinan. The Drood Review called it "One of the 10 best books of the year." Publisher's Weekly: "Very satisfying;" Booklist: "a sure winner"
When a Man Loves a Woman: Enhanced Multimedia Edition by Alina Adams - Can a man and woman ever truly be just friends? What about if one of them is married? What if one of them suddenly isn't anymore? Originally published as a paperback by Dell in 2000, the 2011 e-book re-release multimedia edition now features all the text of the original, plus a bonus musical soundtrack to compliment the story! A romance from mystery author Alina Adams.
Willowtree: A Bruce DelReno Mystery by Mike Bove - Bruce DelReno, retired postman, golf and food nut, finds a body near the golf course. He believes the murder is connected to others and involves his Apache friend. Together, they stay a step ahead of the police in trying to solve the cases. They uncover dark secrets of a close knit group of friends in the town of Willowtree, Arizona. This is a fun read with some interesting characters.
"Kiki Lowenstein and the Purple Passion: A Kiki Lowenstein Short Story" by Joanna Campbell Slan - When a customer's daughter is falsely accused, Kiki Lowenstein foils a nasty plan to ruin the girl's reputation. Mystery, crafts, recipes, humor, romance/short story.
Whispering by Gerrie Ferris Finger - Will Cleo Snow admit to making love with charming World War I fly-boy Graham Henry to clear him in the disappearance of an island woman who claims he plans to marry her? Will Graham compromise Cleo to clear himself? With her spirit firmed by deceit, Cleo vows to uncover the truth and keep her secret.
Please mark your calendar for Give Your Child a Free Kindle Book Day on April 19 - in which numerous books for children, pre-teens, and young adults will be free.
11 comments:
From what I understand, no one knows what works to increase book sales, except to write a good one. All 13 of these look interesting, so that's a good start.
Congrats on the fifth Kiki book, Joanna!
Please come on back and let us know if this generates further sales. Good luck!
What they said :-)
I confess, I have very mixed emotions about giving away books. Over the past 15 years I have done a number of giveaways with my non-fiction (books about cats, dogs, and animal rescue), and have never seen any indication that they affected sales.
I also paint, and the question of whether artists should give away art comes up all the time. Not quite the same thing since once you give a painting away, it's gone (unless it's a print), but same principle. Many artists feel that giving work away demeans the value of the work. Why should anyone pay for it if the person with the most invested thinks it's worth $0.00?
The other reason I rarely give away books is (maybe) petty, but very often I've found that I never even hear whether the book arrived at its destination, let alone get a thank you. That really annoys me on a very basic level, since not only do I have to pay for the book, which I worked hard on for months, but also the shipping. But maybe that's just me...
Your books & story all sound terrific, so I hope this venture works spectacularly for you! I hope you'll come back and tell us whether you see any positive results (if it's even possible to know!). Good luck!!!!
I have found that the very best way to promote my work is to give copies away. Please note, "Kiki Lowenstein and the Purple Passion" is a short story. I believe those serve a different purpose. They are samples.
Very cool project, Deb! You'll have to give us a report on the results that you all see as a result of it on one of your next blog turns.
I can tell you that the downloads are going crazy! I hope there will be a lot of new people introduced to my series.
The more I see about promotion, the less I understand it. I think the old adage applies: throw it all at the wall and see what sticks. good luck with the Friday the 13th thirteen (Clever!, as always, Joanna!)
So proud to be standing side by side with Kiki today!
Alina Adams
Oh, golly, Alina. Aren't you sweet?
So far I've gotten great comments on my personal blog, and readers really appreciate the freebies. It's all about the lagnaippe, I think.
Deb, you're a dear, as always.
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