Author Genre: Mysteries, Thriller, Humor and Comedy, Romance, Urban Fantasy
Website: Amy Vansant
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Twitter: @AmyVansant
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Author Description:
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Amy Vansant has written over 20 books, including the rollicking, twisty Pineapple Port Mysteries, and the action-packed Kilty urban fantasies. Throw in a couple romances and a YA fantasy for her nieces. She's tried to write serious thrillers but they always end up full of jokes, so she gave up. Amy lives in Jupiter, Florida with her muse/husband, Bordoodle Archer, four gopher turtles, two osprey, a billion anole lizards and a pack of loud-mouthed woodpecker.
SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author
Congratulations on your book: Pineapple House Hunter. What do you have on the drawing board next? Another Pineapple Port Mysteries or another Kilty fantasy.
Actually I'm 85% done the next Shee McQueen mystery - It's a mystery/thriller a little less "cozy/madcap" than the Pineapple series but still clean and not gory. It's a crossover - some characters introduced in Pineapple Turtles are the lead characters in this series and they're very much tied to the lead character Charlotte in the Pineapple series. Something VERY BIG for Pineapple readers happens in this second book!
You have a good following on twitter. How important have your social media relationships been? How did you build your following in your niche? Do you see a carry over to your writing success?
Honestly, I don't really use social media for growing (or rather, I've tried and it doesn't seem to sell books.) I used it more to keep fans engaged, let them know about new books, give them fun things to see so they think kindly of me and hopefully continue to buy my books! I do run Facebook ads, which gets me new followers who hopefully become fans. I don't expect a random Tweet to sell a bunch of books though. It's a slow thing.
Do you do any book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?
Not really. Occasionally a group (Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, for example) will ask me to give a talk about book marketing because I started AuthorsXP.com, a marketing site for authors.
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?
Pineapple follows a real pattern - I let my cover guy Steven Novak know what I want my skull to be doing and he puts it together. The Shee McQueen covers are by Lance Buckley. I had a general idea what I wanted but I wanted that series VERY high-end looking and I don't have the skills for it. I did the Kilty covers myself - they've been a struggle. I consider Kilty a humorous romantic thriller series with a touch of fantasy, but it seemed it had too much fantasy for people who don't like fantasy and had more of a fan-base of fantasy fans, so I rebranded as more of an Urban Fantasy and then folded my urban fantasy series, Angeli, into it. (whew!)
I like the idea of Author bundles. You are a part of several novel collections, one called Cozy Power, which you helped organize. What was the impact on your other sales? What was the main objective of bundling your works with other mystery authors? How did you put something like that together? Read more about Cozy Power
It hasn't been out long enough to judge how much it helps all of us, but this group has been working together to expand our readership and a boxed set of our book #1s seemed like a no-brainer!
I like the idea of Amazon grouping an Author’s series of novels under one heading on their sales site. You have done that for the Pineapple Port Mysteries series. What do you think of the idea? Did you see any impact on your sales of the individual novels? Read more about the Complete Series on Amazon
I think it's great. It also makes it possible to run an ad on Facebook or wherever and point people to the SERIES page instead of one book if you have a couple books on sale.
What is your primary genre? What has been your best marketing approach to this group?
Mystery. The best approach is always write more books. And then of course constant promotion and list building.
What has been your experience in using Kindle Unlimited? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?
I make more with page reads than I do with straight sales, so that was an easy decision to make. It makes me a little sad not being able to make my books "wide" (available on itunes, etc.) but financially KU makes more sense for me.
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 have a list of about 60k. Having your own list is really important. I grow the list using AuthorsXP.com mailing list builders. AuthorsXP.com and sometimes Facebook ads.
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 "street team" of about 40 readers. Whenever I have a new book, I send them the book to read and then when it goes live I get 20-30 reviews in the first week or so from them. After that, the book is selling so it gets it's own reviews.
Author's Book List
Pineapple House Hunter - Pineapple Port Mysteries Book 12
When Declan and his uncle Seamus find a dead woman in the master closet of a house for sale, Seamus hopes that means he'll get a deal...but private detective Charlotte Morgan is more interested in why the body has a note pinned to its chest:
Where are you going to keep YOUR clothes?
When another body with a second note is found at a listing held by the same real estate agency, Charlotte is hired to find out who's trying to ruin them. The handsome owner of the agency has a way with the ladies... is one of his jilted lovers out to demonstrate just how angry a woman scorned can get?
Too bad Charlotte's neighborhood "moms," Mariska and Darla, can't help with this mystery --- they're on a treasure hunt bound to cost them their weekend… and maybe their life!
Order the Book From:
Amazon
kindleunlimited
The Girl Who Wants - The Shee McQueen Mystery Thriller Series Book 1
Shee wants a home.
Shee McQueen grew up skip tracing and hunting military criminals with her father, Mick, until someone put a bounty on her head, forcing her underground. Resurfacing years later, she returns to her family’s hotel in Jupiter Beach, FL, to find Mick in a coma, shot in the head by an unknown sniper.
Shee wants answers.
The Loggerhead Inn has everything Shee could want in a beach hotel---sea turtle wall art, a tiny Yorkshire terrier mascot who thinks she’s a pit bull, and her father’s staff of deadly, damaged military veterans, looking to redeem their troubled souls by helping others. Not to mention--- Hold on...
How did Mason Connelly, the SEAL she fell for decades ago, just appear in the lobby? Why did he have to show up now demanding answers to secrets long buried?
Shee wants it all back.
But someone wants her dead.
From the moment Shee McQueen appears, The Girl Who Wants straps the reader into a twisting roller coaster ride of heart-stopping action, snappy dialog and intrigue. Shee’s quest to recover the life and loves she’s lost brings a depth of emotion rare in such a page-turning suspense. The unique female lead's funny, irreverent and all-too-human asides will have you rooting for her — and her whole pack of wild, wonderful misfit friends — until the breathless end.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
kindleunlimited
Pineapple Hurricane - Pineapple Port Mysteries 11
When a Pineapple Port resident is found dead during an approaching hurricane, Charlotte fears someone’s trying to disguise murders as storm-related accidents. The first two victims have more than the storm in common – both were hoarding valuable storm supplies like toilet paper and water. Hm. Maybe the killer is karma!
Bringing together the area’s community leaders to spread a warning could lead to even more trouble. Last time the Five Families got together, someone ended up dead. But things could be much deadlier if Declan’s crazy ex is right and the Puzzle Killer's broken out of prison…
And did that lamppost just explode, or is someone trying to kill Charlotte and Declan?
Charlotte vows to solve the crime before the storm hits. Mariska and Darla vow to find some toilet paper for sale, even if they have to call in help from their old neighbor, the revenge-genius, Gloria.
Buckle down for a blustery ride as the storm hits!
Quips get flung and puns get slung, making for a hilarious read, but even better, Pineapple Port's just a place you want to hang out. The dialog crackles---you'll hear the voices of your own nutty friends and relatives in every conversation.
Throughout the series, you find serial killers, crazy ex-girlfriends, loving dogs, romance, government operatives, FBI agents, danger... and a cast of characters almost as funny as they are loving, supportive and brave. The series appeals to men and women.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
kindleunlimited
Pineapple Turtles - Pineapple Port Mysteries Book 10
Newly-minted detective Charlotte Morgan discovers a mysterious box in her attic, the contents of which lead her to a hotel packed with strange characters and a link to her family's past. Trusting the crafty, Yorkie-toting manager will be as difficult as tracking down the woman who might be her missing aunt.
Back in Charity, her boyfriend Declan gets tangled in a local tomato war as the locals band together to stop a corporation from destroying their fallen friend's field.
In addition, you'll meet some of the characters of Amy Vansant's much-anticipated NEW mystery series releasing soon! Get a sneak peek at another wacky, wonderful world of intrigue and unforgettable characters!
Order the Book From:
Amazon
kindleunlimited
Kilty Secrets: Time-Travel Urban Fantasy Thriller - Kilty Series Book 5
After discovering the shocking consequences of their lark in Las Vegas, Catriona and Broch find themselves on the hunt for a serial killer thought dead. Meanwhile, back in Hollywood, forces build against the time travelers as Catriona's father endeavors to consolidate his burgeoning power. When his machinations capture the attention of a mysterious group of strangers, will they arrive to work with him or against him?
When a gorgeous redhead arrives promising help, Catriona and Broch must decided whether to trust her---a move that will irrevocably change the trajectory of their lives.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
kindleunlimited
Pineapple Puppies - Pineapple Port Mysteries 9
Puppies have taken over book NINE of the hilarious Pineapple Port mystery series from Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY Best-Selling author Amy Vansant!
Someone has left puppies on the doorsteps of Pineapple Port's residents, but the adorable balls of fur seem to be connected to the murder of a nearby millionaire with too many heirs of his own. Meanwhile, Mariska's been framed for baking a killer cake, and Charlotte must clear her name
Fans of classic cozy mysteries will adore this whodunnit packed with puppies, baking, horses, sneaky maids and a dead rich man!
Order the Book From:
Amazon
kindleunlimited
Pineapple Jailbird - Pineapple Port Mysteries 8
Book EIGHT of the hilarious Pineapple Port mystery series from Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY Best-Selling author Amy Vansant has Charlotte awaking to find Mariska and Bob gone, kidnapped from their home. Their disappearance is a message from a familiar killer: Help me or your friends will disappear.
To save her loved ones, Charlotte must find a way to clear her boyfriend's crazy ex of a killing. It may be the only crime the woman didn't commit...but things don't get any easier when someone mistakes Charlotte as a traitor and sends a madman with a distinctive "tattoo" and unusual gang of deadly pets to stop her.
Fans of comedic mysteries like The Thin Man, Moonlighting, Monk and Elementary will fall in love with the charming, funny and thrilling world of Pineapple Port!
Order the Book From:
Amazon
kindleunlimited
Audible
Kilty As Sin: Time-Travel Urban Fantasy Thriller - Kilty Series Book 4
When one of Parasol Pictures' assets gets himself into gambling trouble, Broch and Catriona are dispatched to Las Vegas to pay the debt --- only to find it needs to be worked off. To fulfill the debt, they'll battle a mad Russian with an unhealthy interest in Catriona's kickboxing skills...
When Broch is left for dead and Catriona taken, it's a race against time to reunite before the Russian's plans come to their twisted conclusion.
Back in Hollywood, Catriona's recently returned time-traveling father has his eyes on her adoptive father, Sean. When Sean discovers Rune possess powers he never imagined, it will take an old and unusual friend to set things straight.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
kindleunlimited
Pineapple Gingerbread Men - Pineapple Port Mysteries 7
Sheriff Frank asks newly-minted private detective Charlotte to help him crack the case, but she has no idea those darn gingerbread men will start showing up everywhere. What did Santa do that made them so angry? And what's the secret in his colorful Christmas-themed bureau?
Charlotte is forced to split her time between searching for Santa's killer and helping Declan's crazy ex-Stephanie stop a corrupt district attorney in exchange for a book that could help solve more crimes in the future. She never thought she'd help calculating Stephanie with anything...but as this story comes to it's shocking ending, you'll find it could be Stephanie who's finally bitten off more cookie than she can chew...
If Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum and the Golden Girls had a baby, it would be the Pineapple Port series! Fans of Lilian Jackson Braun, Jana DeLeon and Rita Mae Brown won’t be able to get enough of this wild, funny, thrilling corner of Florida!
Order the Book From:
Amazon
kindleunlimited
Kilty Mind - A Time-Travel Urban Fantasy Romantic Thriller - Kilty Series Book 3
Time-tossed Highlander Brochan doesn't get a moment to recover from his latest wounds before he and Catriona discover one of Parasol Picture's biggest stars has been accused of murder. It will be hard for the actor to beat the charge...the body was found under his house.
When another studio asset is dosed with drugs that send him into a near-fatal frenzy, the fixers have to wonder if someone is out to destroy Parasol. It doesn't help that Catriona's nefarious sister, Fiona, has moved even closer to the studio and seems inextricably tied to Parasol's problems.
Brochan and Catriona could find solace in each other, but Brochan wants to get married before they hop into his kip and Cat thinks he needs to embrace the twenty-first century. Though on the upside, Broch says her hand in marriage is worth at least four cows…
Order the Book From:
Amazon
kindleunlimited
Pineapple Disco - Pineapple Port Mysteries 6
Humor, thrills and mystery abound in the SIXTH Pineapple Port Mystery. Charlotte, the 55+ community's young female sleuth is thrust into a thrilling struggle to survive when her friend Jackie's underground "mature" disco is infiltrated by violent criminals intent on claiming the club as their own.
Even more frightening --- the ridiculously vengeful Gloria is back and on the warpath after a playful suitor goes missing.
Charlotte must search for the connection between the two cases with the help of Declan, whose own secret past with crazy, serial killer-spawn Stephanie is beginning to show…
Order the Book From:
Amazon
kindleunlimited
Audible
Pineapple Lies - A Pineapple Port Mystery: Book One (Pineapple Port Mysteries 1
Growing up in one of Florida’s fifty-five plus communities, Charlotte never expected life to be wild. Golf cart racing with her surrogate mothers Mariska and Darla was about as nutty as life got...until she found the hot pawnbroker’s mom buried in her backyard.
Talk about making a lousy first impression.
Armed with nothing but her wits, Pineapple Port’s questionable cast of characters and a growingcrush, Charlotte is determined to solve the mystery of Declan’s mother’s murder.
Hey, at least this guy’s skeletons aren't in his closet.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
kindleunlimited
Complete Book Series
For a Complete List of Amy's Books, visit Amazon Author Profile.
Post Created by: James Moushon
Mystery Author, Industry blogger and Author Advocate
James is the author of the following blogs:
HBS Author’s Spotlight
Indie Author's Corner
HBS Virtual Bookshelf
Mystery Reader’s Circle
Post Created by: James Moushon
Mystery Author, Industry blogger and Author Advocate
James is the author of the following blogs:
HBS Author’s Spotlight
Indie Author's Corner
HBS Virtual Bookshelf
Mystery Reader’s Circle
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