Author Genre: Romance, Mystery & Thrillers, Young Adult
Website: My Books - Sibel Hodge
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Twitter: @sibelhodge
E-Mail: sibelhodge@gmail.com
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Author Description:
Sibel Hodge is the author of No. 1 Bestseller Look Behind You. Her books are International Bestsellers in UK, USA, Australia, France, and Germany. She writes an eclectic mix of genres, and she's a passionate human and animal rights advocate.
Her work has been shortlisted for the Harry Bowling Prize 2008, Highly Commended by the Yeovil Literary Prize 2009, Runner Up in the Chapter One Promotions Novel Comp 2009, nominated Best Novel with Romantic Elements in 2010 by The Romance Reviews, Runner Up in the Best Indie Books of 2012 by Indie Book Bargains, Winner of Best Children's Book by eFestival of Words 2013, Winner of Crime, Thrillers & Mystery | Book from a series in the SpaSpa Book Awards 2013, Nominated for the 2015 BigAl's Books and Pals Young Adult Readers' Choice Award, Readers' Favourite Young Adult - Coming of Age Honourable Award Winner 2015, and New Adult Finalist in the Oklahoma Romance Writers of America's International Digital Awards 2015. Her novella Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave has been listed as one of the Top 40 Books About Human Rights by Accredited Online Colleges.
SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author
Congratulations on your book: Killer Colada (co-author Elizabeth Ashby). What do you have on the drawing board next? Rumor has it that you have another book on the horizon called Untouchable. Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?
Thanks so much! Yes, Untouchable is a chillingly dark psychological thriller which will be out on Sept 1st. Here's the blurb: A Conspiracy. A cover-up. And a whistle-blower who knows too much. You think you know who to trust? You're wrong. And the truth may kill you...
~~ Inspired by real UK police investigations, this book contains scenes which some readers may find disturbing ~~
It’s Maya and Jamie’s anniversary, and she waits with excitement for him to return home for a celebratory dinner. There’s a knock at the door. It’s the police. Jamie has been found hanging in a local wood.
His death is ruled a suicide, but Maya doesn’t believe Jamie would take his own life. Something isn’t right. Someone has broken into her house. Someone is watching her. And someone has gone to great lengths to cover up what Jamie was doing before he died.
Maya’s grief turns to suspicion, and as she begins to investigate the weeks leading up to Jamie’s death, her trail leads her to a place known as “The Big House” and the horrific secrets within. Secrets people will stop at nothing to keep hidden. People linked to the heart of the Establishment who think they’re untouchable.
Now Maya has a dangerous decision to make. How far is she prepared to go to reveal the truth?
You have a good following on twitter. Since you started before the social media buzz, what impact has social media relationships had on your current success? How did you build your following in your niche? How much has it changed your book launch process?
I actually use Twitter more for my human and animal rights advocate social media and use my author Facebook page for all my book info. I love interacting with readers via social media and have made some really good friends who have initially contacted me because they've read my books!
You have great covers. They carry a theme and your brand with them. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?
I can usually see the exact finished cover I want in my head but don't have the technical skills to manipulate the images myself so I'm very specific with the cover designer about which stock photos and fonts to use. I'm a bit of a control freak so I'm very hands-on with it :)
I like the idea of bundling a series of novels. You have put together a couple of sets of your novels (Amber Fox Mysteries & the Romantic Comedy Box Set). What was the impact on your other sales? What was your main objective in bundling your novels?
I think bundles are great because they're usually discounted so readers get a terrific deal and have some or all the books in the series in one place. I'm not sure they impacted much on other sales but I think it's really more about good value and convenience.
We have had several of the Indie Chicks in the Author’s Spotlight. What a group of outstanding people and authors. I feel so strongly about the group, I added their book in the list of your credits below (You are a co-author). What is the main thing that you get out of this association? Why is the book so successful, besides having outstanding authors?
Thank you! It's great to be in a team of such amazingly lovely ladies. Because writing is such a solitary job, it's great to be able to reach out to others when you need advice or have a question or just for some support when you're having a bad day. The Indie Chicks compilations are really about providing inspiration for people.
Do you maintain a reader list? What are the methods you use to find your readers and create the list and the relationship? Do you use social media, forums, newsletters and/or support groups to build your list?
I do have a mailing list to let people know about sales or new releases, along with posting on my Facebook Author Page. But I don't concentrate on trying to grow my list because I want people to join purely because they want to. That way I know that if they subscribe to my newsletter they are interested in the emails.
You have a great blog. You do a great job keeping readers informed, marketing your books and helping other writers gain exposure. What is your primary goal? And where in the world do you find the time to create great novels, take care of the social media and maintain your blog?
Actually, time to blog has been a real issue lately so the blogging has had to take a back seat to writing. Initially, my aim was to help other writers gain exposure and let readers know of my new releases. But there is never enough time in the day. I'd love to have a clone!
Living in the UK creates a unique selling and marketing situation. Where is your biggest audience? Does marketing online help in this situation?
My biggest audience is the UK, but the US is not far behind. Online marketing always helps, but I've been lucky enough to have Amazon's Thomas & Mercer imprint behind me with their marketing muscle to help get my books in front of more readers.
What is your method of getting reviews for your novels? Do you seek professional reviews, use social media or do you rely on your reading audience to supply them?
I have a list of advanced readers who I always send out copies to. In the past I've done blog tours and contacted bloggers. With Look Behind You, I was lucky enough that it kind of exploded and readers just naturally left a lot of reviews on the book.
Author's Book List
Killer Colada
- a Danger Cove Cocktail MysteryIt's been a stressful couple of months for bartender, Hope Foster, so her best friend Ruby treats her to an afternoon of holistic pampering with therapist Pandora Williams. But what should be a relaxing getaway turns into a murder scene when Hope and Ruby stumble across Pandora’s lifeless body in the kitchen next to a killer cocktail.
Hope is convinced that the police are barking up the wrong tree when it comes to suspects. But as she digs further into Pandora's past, it's seems she's opening the proverbial box. Twenty years ago, Pandora’s daughter, Jenna, disappeared one night after arranging to meet her fiancé, Tim, to break off their engagement. Pandora had always believed that Tim killed her daughter, although she’d never been able to prove it. Is Pandora’s murder connected with a decades-old family tragedy? Or has someone used the past as a convenient way to frame the fiancé? With the police wearing blinders, it’s up to Hope, Ruby, and ex-FBI agent Vernon to find out the truth...at any cost!
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Murder and Mai Tais
- a Danger Cove Cocktail MysteryFrom international bestselling author Sibel Hodge comes murder in a small town...
Murder is on the menu, and someone's about to get served.
Hope Foster's motto is to let fate lead you—which it did in her case right to the quiet town of Danger Cove. But when the owner of the Smugglers' Tavern, where Hope tends bar, is murdered, suddenly fate puts Hope squarely in the role of "prime suspect" in her employer's murder. Not only is she the last one to see him alive, but a new will also reveals that her employer left his whole estate to Hope instead of his ungrateful daughter Elise and nephew Carter. With the local police convinced Hope is a manipulative "Black Widow" killer, Hope's peaceful life in Danger Cove is about to turn into a white water ride. Along with a sexy underwater archaeologist from England, in town searching for a lost shipwreck, an international yoga guru, and a reformed alcoholic patron, Hope sets out to prove her innocence. But can Team Hope catch the real killer before she trades in her bartending apron for an orange prison jumpsuit?
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Vegas, Lies, and Murder
- Amber Fox Mysteries book #5When feisty insurance investigator Amber Fox lands in Las Vegas to tie the knot with her fiancé, Brad Beckett, she's got three things on her mind: fun, relaxation, and lots of honeymoon action.
But after one wardrobe malfunction and a botched Elvis-themed ceremony, Amber's personal life is in overload, and her lucky knickers definitely aren't working their magic. And if that wasn't enough to ruin her special day, Amber finds herself in the middle of investigating the disappearance of an exotic dancer and working undercover in a gentleman's club, Polesque, bringing a whole new meaning to seeing the Vegas Strip.
In Sin City, the stakes are high, but whoever said "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" hasn't bet on meeting an angry Amber Fox.
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Chocolate, Lies, and Murder
- Amber Fox Mysteries book #4Feisty insurance investigator Amber Fox is finally marrying her boss, Brad Beckett, in seven days. All she has to do before the wedding is get a manicure, a bikini wax, and buy some sexy honeymoon undies. Easy peasy...
Until glamour model Aleesha starts receiving threatening letters, and Brad's suddenly hired as her bodyguard. Unfortunately, Aleesha's definition of guarding her body is different to Amber's. Especially since Aleesha is Brad's ex and has her sights set on getting him back.
And when Brad's arrested, facing life imprisonment, it looks like the only thing on Amber's honeymoon itinerary will be conjugal prison visits. Can Amber solve the case and clear Brad's name? Is Brad as innocent as he claims? Or is this the end for Amber and Brad?
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Voodoo, Lies, and Murder
- Amber Fox Mysteries book #3Feisty insurance investigator Amber Fox is back in her deadliest case ever...
When Chantal Langton, the daughter of a famous voodoo high priestess, goes missing, is it a simple case of a rich girl looking for adventure, or is it something more sinister? Amber Fox aims to find out, and soon finds herself slap bang in the middle of voodoo curses, a trail of missing women, and a labyrinth of deceit. And, if that wasn't enough, her ex-fiancé-turned-boss-turned-fiancé again is pressing her to set the wedding date. Can Amber find Chantal and hunt down a cold-blooded killer… or will she become the prey this time?
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Money, Lies, and Murder
- Amber Fox Mysteries book #2Armed with cool sarcasm and uncontrollable hair, feisty insurance investigator Amber Fox is back in a new mystery combining murder and mayhem with romance and laughter...
Three deaths. A safety deposit box robbery. The boxing heavyweight champion of the world. Somehow, they're all related, and it's up to Amber to solve a four year old crime to find out why. Only she stumbles across a trail of dead bodies and a web of lies spanning both sides of the social divide, this case starts to get personal. Someone thinks Amber's poking her nose in where it's not wanted, sparking off a deadly game of fox and mouse--only this time, Amber's the mouse. Out of options, Amber is forced to take refuge in the home of her ex-fiancé, Brad Beckett, and now it's not just the case that's heating up!
All Levi Carter wanted to be was the boxing heavyweight champion of the world, but at what cost? All Carl Thomas wanted was to be rich, but would his greed be his downfall?
All Brad Beckett wants is to get Amber back, but there's a reason for the ex word. And all Amber wants is to get out of this investigation alive…
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Fashion, Lies, and Murder
- Amber Fox Mysteries book #1From award winning author, Sibel Hodge, comes a screwball comedy-mystery, combining murder and mayhem with romance and laughter...
Amber Fox has been making too many mistakes, and something's got to give...
For starters, Amber accidentally shoots Chief Inspector Janice Skipper and gets thrown off the police force. Oops! Then, she accepts a job as an insurance investigator from her ex-fiancé, Brad Beckett. Only Brad thinks they've still got unfinished business in the romance department, making for a steamier working environment than Amber counted on. And when fashion designer, Umberto Fandango, goes missing, Amber's investigative skills are put to the ultimate test. Nothing about the case is what it seems, and to make matters worse Amber's arch-enemy, Chief Inspector Skipper, is also investigating the disappearance. If Amber wants her old job back, she's in a race against time to solve the mystery before Skipper does... all the while dodging her ex-fiancé, her own mixed up feelings, and a couple of crazy mobsters.
Who is Umberto Fandango? Is he dead? And can Amber stay one step ahead to stay alive?
(Formerly published under the title The Fashion Police)
Fashion, Lies, and Murder was runner-up in the Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition 2010 and nominated Best Novel with Romantic Elements 2010 by The Romance Reviews.
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Where the Memories Lie
Chilling family secrets, obsession and decades-old lies. How well do we really know the ones we love? A gripping psychological thriller from the #1 bestselling author of Look Behind You.
Twenty-five years ago Katie ran away from home and never came back. But now she’s suddenly reappeared in her best friend Olivia’s life—in the form of a chilling confession. Olivia’s father-in-law, wracked with guilt, says he murdered her all those years ago. Tom suffers from Alzheimer’s and his story is riddled with error and confusion. Except for one terrifying certainty: he knows where the body is buried.
As Olivia and the police piece together the evidence, they are left with one critical question. They have a crime, they have a confession, and now they have a body—but can any of it be trusted?
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Look Behind You
Chloe Benson wakes up kidnapped and bound in an underground tomb with no memory of how she got there.
She escapes through deserted woods with her life, but no one believes her story.
And when she suspects her husband is lying to her, Chloe is forced to retrace her past, following in her own footsteps to find the truth and stay alive.
But who is following Chloe?
Look Behind You. You never know who's out there.
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Butterfly
Grace Elliot is falling apart. Overwhelming tragedy has turned her world into a dark and lonely place. Facing the pain and the ghosts is impossible. Hiding her secret behind a mask of confidence and faking her life is the only thing she knows how to do. She's alive...but not living.
Counsellor Ben Hardy is certain he can help Grace heal. Maybe it's a way to rid himself of the demons haunting him from that one horrific night when his life shattered.
When they meet, everything changes, and their pasts offer them a remedy to save each other...until Ben's traumatic history threatens to destroy the trust they've built.
Will the truth tear them apart? Or will it force them to understand the healing power of forgiveness and love?
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The See-Through Leopard
Most sixteen-year-old girls are obsessed with their looks, but Jazz Hooper's obsessed for a different reason. After a car accident that kills her mum, Jazz is left with severe facial scars and retreats into a dark depression.
Fearing what will happen if Jazz doesn't recover, her dad makes a drastic decision to move them from England to a game reserve in Kenya for a new start. And when Jazz finds an orphaned leopard cub, it sets off a chain of events that lead her on a two year journey of discovery, healing, and love.
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It's a Catastrophe
The cats at Briarswood Cottage are lucky. After being rescued from the local Cats' Home by Ma Katz, they live out their days in luxury under the watchful eye of Buster, the mogfather. But all that's about to change...
When the local mayor announces that the cat population is spreading a deadly disease, their lives are in mortal danger. There's no time to paws! Somehow, Ma's moggies have to organize all the neighbourhood cats to unite as one, getting their claws stuck in to prove their innocence and save each other from certain death.
Can they put aside jealous rivalry and tomcat turf wars to work together as a team and save catkind from extinction?
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The Baby Trap
Based on her own experiences with infertility and two attempts at IVF, Sibel Hodge's latest novel The Baby Trap will have you laughing and crying at the ups and downs of modern baby-making...
When Gina turns thirty-three her body clock unexpectedly begins clanging in her ear with annoying persistence. The only problem is, having a baby isn't as easy as she thought. Whether she's feng shui-ing the house to death with fertility symbols, throwing out her husband's tight boxers in favour of baggies, swapping wine and chocolate for green tea and yams, popping fertility drugs like M&M's, or having sex so precision-timed it makes international warfare manoeuvres look unorganized, her life is turned upside down. And when nothing seems to be working, her quest for the B-word turns into an obsession.
Can Gina stay sane, get pregnant, and keep her marriage together? Or will her baby trail become a baby trap?
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My Perfect Wedding
- Helen Grey Book 2Helen Grey is finally getting everything she wants. She's about to have the perfect dream wedding and begin an exciting new life abroad on the sunny Mediterranean island of Cyprus. But living the dream isn't all it's cracked up to be.
After a mix-up at the airport, Helen finds herself drawn into the midst of an elaborate plot to steal an ancient statue and assassinate a local businessman. And as if that wasn't bad enough, her wedding dress is AWOL, the statue seems to be cursed, and Helen is wanted by the police.
With the big day rapidly approaching, a roller-coaster of mishaps, misunderstandings, and disasters threatens to turn the newlyweds into nearlyweds.
Can Helen prevent an assassination, save the statue, and have the perfect wedding? Or will the day to remember turn into one she'd rather forget?
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Fourteen Days Later
- Helen Grey Book 1When accident-prone Helen Grey finds a thong stuffed into the pocket of her boyfriend’s best work trousers, it’s time for her to move on. His excuse that he needed to dust the photocopier and just thought that it was a rag sounds like a lame excuse. Helen’s life is propelled in an unexpected direction after her best friend, Ayshe, sets her a fourteen-day, life-changing challenge.
Helen receives a task everyday which she must complete without question. The tasks are designed to build her confidence and boost her self-esteem but all they seem to do is push her closer to Ayshe’s brother, Kalem.
How will Kalem and Helen get together when she’s too foolish to realize that she loves him? How can he fall for her when he is too busy falling prey to her mishaps and too in love with his own perfect girlfriend? How will Kalem’s Turkish Cypriot family react when they find out?
Is it really possible to change your life in fourteen days?
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Indie Chicks: 25 Independent Women 25 Personal Stories
This exciting anthology contains stories from twenty-five women from different parts of the world. Their ages differ, as do their backgrounds and locations, but one thing they all have in common is a spirit of independence and a determination to not only succeed, but prevail.
Whether their struggles are to maintain balance between motherhood and career, escape from an abusive relationship, or to step out in faith and pursue a dream, all of these women have forged their own path. As women, one of our most powerful 'gifts' is the ability to encourage one another.
This book is an effort to encourage women across the world. These twenty-five women share stories that will make you laugh, inspire you, and maybe even make you cry. Their hope is that these stories will inspire YOUR independent spirit and allow you to live the life you were meant to live.
All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to a charitable organization that fights breast cancer.
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Thanks so much for featuring me today! Big hugs :) xx
ReplyDeleteThis is great, congratulations.
ReplyDeleteMarvellous interview, Sibel and James!
ReplyDeleteSo much good information!