Be sure to check out what they have coming next for their readers. I try to pick authors who are interesting studies and ask them unique questions for our Q/A section.
Check out the Showcase feature of the HBS Author's Spotlight. I have included those authors in this class. Also, we have added the Author Bundles we have posted this month.
Thanks to the following outstanding authors for a great month. Here is a summary of our August 2015 crew.
Bruce A. Borders
Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Literature & Fiction, Crime
Author's Blog: Bruce A. Borders - Author
Website: Bruce A. Borders - Author
Twitter: @BruceABorders
E-Mail: bborders@embarqmail.com
Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Post with Profile + Interview: HBS Author's Spotlight
Amazon Author Profile
Next: A children’s book on the horizon called The Adventures of Stupid the Cat. Http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZQ39HI2
Social media: I have worked for quite a few years to build up a Twitter following that consists of real people. I’m sure that some are bots but the majority are not. Twitter has helped immensely in generating awareness of my books and sales have followed. Perhaps the most notable results came after joining Rave Reviews Book Club. They have a LOT of promotion and support going on there, and it is constant.
Short stories: I like to write some short stories. Originally, I thought perhaps I would turn them in to full length novels but so far I have not done that. Not sure if they have impacted sales of the other books or not. But they are fun to write.
Bundling a series of novels: The Wynn Garrett Series…began as a set of books meant for my children. They are quite political, not politically correct, and a little violent and some would say the guy is downright rude. The main theme of the Wynn Garrett Series is fighting terrorism. My children loved the books so I began publishing them. The impact on other sales has actually been the other way around; I tend to sell more of the Wynn Garrett Series because of the other books than having sales generated through the series.
Free books: I have done a few giveaways on Goodreads. Those were partially successful in that, it generated interest and a few sales. The problem is, it is costly. There is the cost of the book, then shipping charges twice, once to get the book from the printer and once to send it to the winner.
Author's Book List
Dark Day, #7
Even Odds, #5
Holy Terror, #2
Remote Control, #3
Judicial Review, #4
Mistaken Identity, #1
Safety Hazard, #6
Inside Room 913
Miscarriage Of Justice
The Journey
Over My Dead Body
For the rest of the story...View Bruce A. Borders - HBS Author's Spotlight
Jennifer Chase
Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Author's Blog: Author Jennifer Chase
Twitter: @JChaseNovelist
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Post with Profile + Interview: HBS Author's Spotlight
Amazon Author Profile
Next: Body of the Crime is a debut thriller for my Chip Palmer Forensic Mysteries Series. Chip Palmer is a criminal profiler and expert witness for all types of homicide cases. The guilty and convicted hate him, so he must live a reclusive life in order to dodge constant death threats from psychopaths and prominent crime family members.
Social media: The social media has no doubt improved my exposure and has helped me to gain readership. With all of the positive aspects, it can be a time drain and divert your focus. It is important to have a plan on how long to engage in social media every day and stick to it. In the beginning, I followed people who enjoy mysteries and thrillers and found sites that promoted these types of books. Social media has definitely played a big part in my book launch process.
Covers: I try not to think about the book covers too much or force the creativity as I write the story. Most of my Emily Stone book covers are actually two photos merged, which gives an overall theme of the story. By merging two photos, I feel that I create more of an original image.
Book trailer: It is difficult to tell how much of an impact the book series trailer has had on my sales. However, it does make my series stand out and it is a wonderful marketing tool. I had the awesome opportunity to meet a film director, Andy Palmer of Petri Entertainment, where I really liked one of his thriller trailers, and jokingly I said to him I would love a book trailer. Well, be careful for what you wish for because with some planning and vision, my trailer was made.
Short stories are an interesting aspect of writing. Some people say they are dead in the water as far as sales, while others claim that it is a wonderful way for readers to sample your work. I agree with the later. I have so many ideas that writing a short story is a wonderful project in between novels. I have received many requests that some of my supporting characters should have their own books. What better way to highlight some of these characters in short stories?
Bundling a series of novels: Emily Stone Series. I thought long and hard as to whether or not to bundle the first three books. I think it is s a great idea only if you have enough in your series. I also included a free short story and the first three chapters of another book. It just made sense. I have found that most readers, who bought the bundle, then bought the next novels in the series. This type of bundle helps to add to your author store and continue to give you more exposure for the series.
Free books: I do free book giveaways on Amazon when I release a new book and physical book giveaways on Goodreads during the same time. I think authors need to be careful when doing free giveaways. You need to have a purpose and not hope that a free book at any time will boost sales of the other books.
Blogging: My blog is really written in two-parts. I use it to talk about my books, crime, and thrillers in general, and to inform the general readership about forensics and crime scene investigation. I have an academic background and degrees in forensics, criminology, and profiling. I love to share the real information about these subjects. At the same time, my background is also integrated into my crime fiction novels. I feel that both parts to my blog complement each other.
Author's Book List
Dark Pursuit
Dead Burn
Dark Mind
Dead Game
Compulsion
Silent Partner
First Watch
Never Forgotten
How To Write a Screenplay
For the rest of the story...View Jennifer Chase - HBS Author's Spotlight
Bill Cronin
Author Genre: Mystery, Contemporary, Fiction
Website: Bill Cronin
Twitter: @billcroninwrite
E-Mail: billcroninwrite@gmail.com
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Post with Profile + Interview: HBS Author's Spotlight
Amazon Author Profile
Next: "Letting Go," is the third novel in the Jack McNamara Chronicles. "Song of the Mockingbird," was first, and "Ruby's Story" was second. Final editing is in process and the book will be released this month (August 2015).
Social media: There is no question that social media has been helpful in establishing an audience. And it is a channel I use to launch new material. Twitter and Facebook are obvious "go to" channels, but I have also had some success using LinkedIn. Let's begin with one important fact: reviews are crucial. Like them or not, it is hard to promote a book without reviews. While social media is helpful in selling books, in order to sell books in quantities, you have to promote your work on book promotion sites.
Short story called Females, Frustration and Fear: I get comments from people from time to time that they enjoyed the story, but I have no idea whether is has helped sales or not. Generally, I don't write short stories. I Like long fiction and if I'm going to take the time to conceive of and write a story it might as well be novel length.
Bundling a series of novels: Jack McNamara Chronicles. I have an author friend, Suzanne Jenkins, (Pam of Babylon, series) who educated me early on about series novels. To succeed as an ebook author, series books are key…Your job as a writer is to elevate the visibility of your work so that a reader can find your novel in the haystack. After you have gone to all that work to get one reader, you want to take that opportunity to hook them into reading your other work. A series makes that easier. If they liked the first book, chances are they will buy another if they are familiar with the characters and like them.
Giveaways: When I first published on Amazon, I said to someone that there was "no possible way," I would give my books away free. I quickly learned that to gain visibility, to get reviews, and to sell other books, I needed to develop strategies that include giveaways. And this is where series novels are tailor made for free promotions. Free promotions work best when you have other books in a series to offer.
Book launch process: I begin the process when I first start a book. I post on Facebook what my new project is and then provide updates occasionally while in the process of writing. I'm getting ready to release "Letting Go," but first I will do a cover reveal after the artwork is completed. Then I will announce the book’s publication on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Then I will heavily promote on Twitter and Facebook to get reviews. This will take some time. After I've got at least 10 reviews, I will begin free promotions on "The Song of the Mockingbird," with the third book in the series available for purchase at full price.
Reader list: Yes, I have mailing lists. Yes, I have followers on Twitter and Facebook. But I have not devoted the time to the cultivation of these lists as I should. I know what to do, and how to do it, I just haven't spent the time. And here is the rub for all indie writers. I love to write. I love that part of the job. Promotion is the evil-twin.
Author's Book List
The Tainted Lady
Ruby's Story
The Song of the Mockingbird
Dial Tone
For the rest of the story...View Bill Cronin - HBS Author's Spotlight
Denise Moncrief
Author Genre: Romance, Mystery & Thrillers
Author's Blog: Suspense, She Writes
Website: Denise Moncrief - Suspense, She Writes
Twitter: @dmoncrief0131
E-Mail: denisemoncriefbooks(at)gmail(dot)com
Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Post with Profile + Interview: HBS Author's Spotlight
Amazon Author Profile
Next: Shaw’s Landing and Chelsea Lane are books three and four in the Haunted Hearts series. Shaw’s Landing released in July 2015, and I plan to release Chelsea Lane in late October or early November 2015. My original concept was a five-book series set in Arkansas, but I’ve enjoyed writing this series of books so much, and I’ve gotten such positive response from readers that I am continuing the series
Social media: For a while, I really concentrated on building my Twitter following. I followed anyone who had similar interests as well as asking contestants in giveaways and contests to follow me. It took time and a lot of patience to build up a following. What I’ve found is that most of my connections on Twitter are doing the same thing I am: promoting their work.
Covers: I have asked my readers to search for pictures that would work for the cover of an upcoming release. That was so much fun because the people that responded really seemed to enjoy it and sent me some great cover ideas.
Author bundles: Dangerous Encounters, Thirteen Romantic Suspense Novels. I have to confess this was my first experience with a bundled set, and I would not have known how to put the set together. Fellow author Chantel Rhondeau took the lead on Dangerous Encounters and did a magnificent job. It’s a process: Gathering a group of compatible authors in the same genre. Organizing the funding and submission of promotions. Agreeing on cover design and book order. Engaging a service to format the book. Then promoting it. It took all of us doing our part to make it work.
Support groups: As a self-published writer, I need association with other independent authors. I belong to several groups on Facebook that were specifically organized for the cross promotion and support of authors in a specific genre. What I love about these groups is the freedom to discuss issues and concerns in the publishing world in a closed, non-public setting. These groups are where I learn about trends in marketing and publishing. They are also a safe place to vent when I’m frustrated and ask questions when I’m unsure of what to do. Writing can be a lonely profession, but with these associations, I feel connected with other writers.
Free books: My Beta readers receive free copies of my books, and occasionally I will offer a signed paperback as a prize in a contest. If I’m involved in an author group event where all the authors are giving away eBooks, I will offer an eBook as a prize. I have used a read and review program through a web based advertising site to solicit reviews and offered free copies in exchange for an honest review.
Book launch process: Recently, I’ve been placing my books on pre-sale for 4 to 6 weeks before official release. During the pre-sale period, I do a cover reveal and begin soft promotion on Facebook and Twitter. My main marketing focus is a Facebook event, usually on the day of release, followed by a blog tour or book release blitz. Ahead of the official cover reveal, I give my newsletter readers a sneak peek of both the cover and the first chapter of the book.
Short story called Ghost in the Garden with a link to your newsletter subscription page: My goal in offering a newsletter is to first allow my readers to get acquainted with me as a person and not just as a name on the cover of a book. Along with giving updates on upcoming releases and tidbits about projects in process, I give sneak peeks that are exclusively for subscribers.
Reviews: That is a complicated question and one that every author struggles with. I used to submit to every review blog I could find, but the process was a lot of work for very little benefit. So many authors are submitting for the same spots that it’s difficult to stand out from the pack. Usually, I rely on my reading audience, but an incredibly small percentage of purchases result in reviews, and what authors crave more than anything is feedback—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Author's Book List
The Memory Catcher
Shaw's Landing
Ashley Ridge
Cross Examination
Victoria House
Twin Rivers
Laurel Heights
Crisis of Serenity
Purgatory
The End
An Impostor in Town
Deceptions of the Heart
Crisis of Identity
For the rest of the story...View Denise Moncrief - HBS Author's Spotlight
Cynthia St-Pierre
Author Genre: Mystery
Author's Blog: Fashionation With Mystery
Twitter: @stpierrecynthia
E-Mail: cynthiast-pierre@rogers.com
Post with Profile + Interview: HBS Author's Spotlight
Amazon Author Profile
Next: A KILLER NECKLACE with fellow author Melodie Campbell. Release date this fall? Sneak peek: A fashionista investigates murder before walking down the aisle.
Personal appearances: Next up—our A KILLER NECKLACE launch. A “heads up” to readers in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada
Book trailer: I love our trailer too. Doesn’t it reveal A PURSE TO DIE FOR’s darker side? Nevertheless, our publisher doesn’t feel trailers are a huge selling point; therefore, for the most part, future Imajin Books publications will not include a trailer.
Short story: Hide and Seek for Grown-ups. Authors don’t get as much feedback as one might think…They are absolutely not just for sample purposes. In fact, I wish there were a larger audience for short stories. Agents and editors swear they can’t sell short story anthologies in general.
Author bundles: Deadly Dozen...Wonderful DEADLY DOZEN’s main objective is to provide an enticingly priced product for readers. Pay a little more, get a lot more type thing. Imajin Books gets all the credit for the bundle!
Support groups: Crime Writers of Canada plus I also belong to Write Now @ King. [Virtual wave to you guys!] We don’t dwell that much on the publishing/marketing end of things, but my do we benefit from creative sharing, motivation, and artsy-fartsy camaraderie!
Free Books: In 2012, when A PURSE TO DIE FOR came out, we benefitted from free “sales”. No obstacles there. On the contrary, word got out.
Reader list: All you who have purchased a paperback from me personally are on my reader list. I also treasure the relationships I’ve made through my blog and Google+ and Twitter, but I don’t surreptitiously collect e-mail addresses like I suppose large corporations do. Just like everybody else, I hate to receive unsolicited marketing calls, letters, e-mails, knocks on doors… So my goal is to engage readers through open channels, so much so that they desire to keep in touch.
Teamed with Melodie Campbell: I also love writing with Melodie. So much more motivating than writing by oneself. We exchange chapters, you see, and I don’t know what’s coming until I read it, and then I get to continue the story any way I want. It’s exactly like a digital, interactive story. We may shuffle things around during the process or at the end when we’re editing, but that’s the gist of it—back and forth
Author's Book List
Deadly Dozen
A Purse to Die For
For the rest of the story...View Cynthia St-Pierre - HBS Author's Spotlight
HBS Author's Spotlight Showcase
R.P. Dahlke
Featured Book: A DEAD RED MIRACLE
Author Genre: Mystery, Romance, Humor
Website: R.P. Dahlke
Twitter: @rpdahlke
E-Mail: rp@rpdahlke.com
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Post with Profile + Interview: HBS Author's Spotlight
Amazon Author Profile
Author Description:
I sort of fell into the job of running a crop-dusting business when my dad decided he'd rather go on a cruise than take another season of lazy pilots, missing flaggers, testy farmers and horrific hours. After two years at the helm, I handed him back the keys and fled to a city without any of the above. And no, I was never a crop-duster.
My Lalla Bains series is about a tall, blond and beautiful ex-model turned crop-duster who, to quote Lalla Bains, has "been married so many times they oughta revoke my license." Lalla is no Danielle Steele character & she's not afraid of chipping her manicure. Scratch that, the girl doesn't have time for a manicure what with herding a bunch of recalcitrant pilots and juggling work orders just to keep her father's flagging business alive.Note: Beginning with A Dead Red Alibi, Lalla and her family will reside in South East Arizona where she will divide her time between a fledgling P.I. business with cousin, Pearlie Bains, and volunteering as a team member with Cochise County Search and Rescue.
My romantic sailing Mystery Trilogy start with A Dangerous Harbor, and continues with Hurricane Hole. Both now up on Kindle and if you liked my Lalla Bains series, I know you'll love this book: More romance, more suspense, an exotic location with nastier bad guys and a bald parrot!
Author's Book List
A DEAD RED MIRACLE
A DEAD RED ALIBI
The Dead Red Mystery Series - Boxed Set
Hurricane Hole
A Dead Red Oleander
A DANGEROUS HARBOR
A DEAD RED HEART
A DEAD RED CADILLAC
For the rest of the story...View R.P. Dahlke - HBS Author's Spotlight Showcase
C. J. Lyons
Featured Book: Hard Fall
Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Romance, Medical Suspense
Author's Blog: Thrillers with Heart
Website: CJ Lyons Thrillers with Heart
Twitter: @cjlyonswriter
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Post with Profile + Interview: HBS Author's Spotlight
Amazon Author Profile
Author Description:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-nine novels, former pediatric ER doctor CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge Thrillers with Heart.
Two time winner of the International Thriller Writers’ coveted Thriller Award, CJ has been called a "master within the genre" (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as "breathtakingly fast-paced" and "riveting" (Publishers Weekly) with "characters with beating hearts and three dimensions" (Newsday).
Author's Book List
BAD BREAK
Watched
Fight Dirty
HARD FALL
Blood Stained
After Shock
Black Sheep
Blind Faith
Kill Zone
Kill Zone
Borrowed Time
Lost in Shadows
Chasing Shadows
Face to Face
Sleight of Hand
Snake Skin
Nerves of Steel
Write Your Novel!
For the rest of the story...View C. J. Lyons - HBS Author's Spotlight Showcase
Denise Moncrief
Featured Book: Shaw's Landing
Author Genre: Romance, Mystery & Thrillers
Author's Blog: Suspense, She Writes
Website: Denise Moncrief - Suspense, She Writes
Twitter: @dmoncrief0131
E-Mail: denisemoncriefbooks(at)gmail(dot)com
Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Post with Profile + Interview: HBS Author's Spotlight
Amazon Author Profile
Author Description:
Denise is a Southern girl. She has lived in Louisiana all her life, and yes, she has a drawl. She has a wonderful husband and two incredible children, who not only endure her writing moods, but also encourage her to indulge her writing passion. Besides writing romantic suspense, she enjoys traveling, reading, and scrapbooking.
Accounting is a skill she learned to earn a little money to support her writing habit. She wrote he first story when she was a teen, seventeen handwritten pages on school-ruled paper and an obvious rip-off of the last romance novel she read. She's been writing off and on ever since, and with more than a few full-length manuscripts already completed, she has no desire to slow down.
Author's Book List
The Memory Catcher
Shaw's Landing
Ashley Ridge
Cross Examination
Victoria House
Twin Rivers
Laurel Heights
Crisis of Serenity
Purgatory
The End
An Impostor in Town
Deceptions of the Heart
Crisis of Identity
For the rest of the story...View Denise Moncrief - HBS Author's Spotlight Showcase
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