Category Archives: Book Sale

Book Sale, The Twin Jinn

Making Magic

I am not a magician and, sadly, I don’t have magical powers although, darn, I really wish I had. So, the next best thing is creating magic through my writing.

Specifically, I am talking about my Twin Jinn series for middle grade series and those who want a bitTwinJinn_book_3b copy
of magical realism in their lives. The first book in the series, which I released this spring, is called The Twin Jinn at Happy Jack’s Carnival of Series.

And good news: the book is free for two days Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16 on Amazon if you or your kids are Kindle readers.

This series is about a family of jinn or genies who trick their evil master into letting them go free. In this book, they hide out at a carnival, where they have a magic act, except their magic is real. I feel I created realistic, likable kids — Jute and Fina who are twin brother  and sister — and their protective parents. The twins are mischievous and curious about the human world. I’ve had a wonderful time living in it with them.

I have two more completed books and one in the works. There’s plenty of magic to go around.

Curious? Here’s the link: The Twin Jinn at Happy Jack’s Carnival of Mysteries

 

 

 

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Book Sale, Isabel Long Mystery Series

Such a Deal: Two Free Books This Weekend

Yes, no. 1 and 4 in my Isabel Long Mystery Series are free to get on Saturday, Oct. 17 and Sunday, Oct. 18. That’s Chasing the Case and Killing the Story. The one catch is that deal is for Kindle readersChasing IG copy only.

So why in the heck would I give my books away for free? Simply put, to attract more readers to my series. Also, I do make money if the books are picked up by those who have Kindle Unlimited when they read pages.

I tried this experiment earlier this spring and was surprised by the results. I found readership rose on the other books in the series, plus the ones I’ve self-published — The Sweet Spot and Peace, Love, & You Know What. Last weekend, I gave away Peace etc. and found people picking up a short collection of short stories — Professor Groovy and Other Stories — that has been largely ignored.

Then, there are reviews on Amazon, where my series is available. Chasing the Case, the first, has now 118. That number jumped dramatically when I started giving it away.

As I’ve said before, there is writing and then there is the business of writing. The second is the trickiest, considering drastic changes in the publishing industry and the flood of self-produced books of varying quality. I have a strong ally in Darkstroke Books, for my mystery series, but as a small indie publisher, authors must actively promote their books. It’s kinda tough considering my time-consuming job as editor-in-chief of a daily newspaper and my early morning writing sessions.

But, hey, I am determined. And, I’ve learned to pay for promotions — not a lot — but that has made a big difference on these freebie weekends. My social media presence doesn’t have their reach, which is in the multiple thousands.

So, here are the links to Chasing the Case and Killing the Story. Enjoy and if you are so inclined, leave a review on Amazon. I do appreciate your support.

 

 

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Book Sale, Crooked Cat Books, Kindle

Such a Deal: 99 Cents for a Really Good Book

Who loves a bargain? I sure as heck do, especially when it comes to books. Readers who use Kindle have three days — July 24-26 — to buy themselves some great books from Crooked Cat Books’ authors for 99 cents. What could you buy these days for that amount of money?

Crooked Cat Books is my publisher. So, yes, you can buy my first mystery, Chasing the Case for 99 cents. And just in time because the second in the Isabel Long Mystery Series, Redneck’s Revenge, will be out very soon. Chasing the Case cover copyHere’s the link: http://mybook.to/chasingthecase

But I’m not going to be selfish about this promotion because Crooked Cat has gathered together a pride of great authors writing in several genres: mystery in all of its ramifications; romance; historical; fantasy; and non-fiction.

It’s an easy way to load up your Kindle without breaking the bank and to try out new authors.

When I first signed on with Crooked Cat Books in November, I used its winter sale to stock up on books and to get a feel for what my fellow authors write. By the way, they are an international group, including the UK, other parts of Europe, Australia, Canada, and the U.S.

That’s how I got to know: Katharine Johnson, the author of three books including her latest The Secret; Lorcan Kavanagh, who wrote the dark thriller, Texas Dakota; and Nancy Jardine’s mystery Topaz Eyes. Then there was Olga Swan’s memoir Pensioners in Paradis, and Sue Barnard’s intriguing Never on Saturday. Others include Alice Castle’s London Murder Mysteries, Anne-Marie Ormsby’s dark fantasy Purgatory Hotel and Isabella May’s Oh! What a Pavlova and The Cocktail Bar.

I found I was in very good company.

Let me make some other recommendations.IMG_5824

History buff? Try John Jackson’s Heart of Stoneand with a ghostly twist, Jennifer C. Wilson’s Kindred Spirits Series, and Kate Braitwaite’s The Road to Newgate. Romance your thing? Lizzie Chantree, Sue Roebuck, Carre-Anne Schless, Jess B. Moore, Miriam Drori, Awen Thornber, and Kate Armitage have books for you.

For fantasy, check out Heidi Catherine’s Soulweaver Series. An Australian author, she explores the concept that we fall in love with the same people life after life. Yup, she makes me believe in love everlasting.

Crooked Cat has a strong collection of thriller fiction including those written by J.V. Baptie, Maisie Porter, Alex Macbeth, Daralyse Lyons, Seamus Heffernan, Columbkill Noonan, and C.J. Sutton. Also look for Val Penny’s Hunter’s Chase, the first in the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries. Then there are Angela Wren’s books set in France.

I could go on and on, but this gives you an idea of the variety available.

So this is how you do it. Starting Tuesday, June 24, go to Amazon’s book session and plug in Crooked Cat Books to search. You might get a few books that have cat in the title but don’t be fooled. The right books will cost 99 cents in the U.S. or 99 p if you are in the UK.

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