OK, alliteration may not be my strong suit (My motto: if it doesn't work, FORCE it), but you get my drift.

Before I starting writing mysteries, I worked in corporate PR so I guess it's not surprising that when I have some down-time I try to promote my work. In fact, way back in 2004 when my first book, Uncommon Grounds, came out, I found myself being sucked into what I thought of as a "black-hole" of publicity. This was pre-social networking, at least for me, but I spent hours sending out scads of news releases, both snail-mail and e-mail, contacting coffeehouses across the country toward carrying my books (or book, singular, then), working with the coffee industry's trade press, and setting up signings.

Lots of good stuff, yet every time I finished with one promotion, another was waiting to seduce me. "Don't miss this opportunity," he''d say with a sleazy wink. "This one," with a thumb poking at his own inflated chest, "might be the real thing. This might be your ticket to the big time."

Now, fast-forward to 2012 and multiply the siren-song of "opportunity" by millions, tens of millions. Options, virtually, on every street corner . Social networking is word-of-mouth on steroids, calling through overblown lips as I pass by:

"You baby, you're going to be a star, I can tell. You just have to get out there. Have a presence.  Facebook, Linked-In, Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing. Get plenty of likes. And you're tweeting, right?" He's trailing after me now. "Meaningful stuff, you know. Like once or twice a day, minimum."

I keep right on walking.

"Let me ask you." Persistent bugger. "How many friends you got? Followers? Cuz if you want, I can get you more. Lots more, just say the word."

"Oh, yeah?" I swing around to face him. "And just how much will that cost me?"

"Cost you?" He looks surprised. "Not a thing, but time."

Time.

A writers life is, by nature, solitary. Social networks have been a godsend to people like me who spend more hours with make-believe friends than we do with real ones. But . . . like that black hole, it sucks you in. I check my email in the morning and maybe my sales numbers for the e- and audio books (it's like Googling yourself, but worse). Then on to Facebook and the like. Maybe hit the Kindle discussion boards and update the website. Write a blog. Tweet something. Meaningful, of course.

And, before I know it, the morning's gone without a word written on the books. A fundamental problem since, without them, I'll have nothing to post or blog or tweet about.

To work, to work.

Sandy

As I mentioned yesterday, the first book in my Maggy Thorsen coffeehouse series, Uncommon Grounds,  is now available. It's narrated by the fabulous Karen Savage. 

I was talking about my first audio book, Uncommon Grounds, last night at a party and I was astounded by how many people are listening to books these days. One, in particular, is a new dad and the only time he has to "read" is in his car on the way to and from work. He just downloads an audio book that interests him and off he goes. When you think about it, we've let our phones and our jobs invade every part of our lives, even our commute--what a great way of reclaiming "me" time.  

I guess with ebooks and all, audio books seemed a bit antiquated to me, but then that's old audiobooks--the dust-covered tapes in the library. Now they can be downloaded and subscriptions to services like Audible.com, make it affordable on an ongoing basis.  Very cool.

Today (Thursday, April 12) is the last day to get my Kindle original, Heaven's Fire, free.   http://tinyurl.com/7e7zfxt 

HF has climbed  to #7 on the Kindle free Romantic Suspense and in the Top 100 of Genre fiction. Pretty cool. I'm hoping, hoping,  hoping that it touches #1 before tonight--hey, just once!  A few seconds, maybe--doesn't have to be long!!  I'm like a junkie fixated on the numbers. This happened to me once when I was a publicist and placed an author on Oprah. His self-published book hit #4 on Amazon's list. And how do I know that? Because I sat up all night and watched it, of course!

Yikes. Happy Thursday!

Sandy

HEAVEN'S free today. Offer ends at midnight. Pacific time. Your mileage may vary.

 

 

 

 

 

For two days, you can't buy your own little piece of Heaven. The whole thing is free!!

Yeah, I know--a little cheesy. But it is true that my Kindle original, Heaven's Fire is free on Amazon today and tomorrow, April 11 and 12.

 

“Equal parts thriller, romance and family saga . . . a compelling and deeply human read.”

--Joan Johnston, New York Times bestselling author of Texas Bride

 

"Heaven's Fire" may be what Pasquale Firenze, patriarch of the family-owned Firenze Fireworks, calls his painting of the night sky with light, color and sound, but television producer Wendy "Jake" Jacobus has more practical considerations than her featured showman's artistry. Or so she believes, until Pasquale is killed--live on-camera--by an explosion, and Jake is hurled into a tangled web triggered by her job, her legacy as a cancer survivor, and her growing attraction to Simon Aamot, the federal agent assigned to the investigation.

 

Aamot has problems as well, but when the two are forced together by the tragedy, the man unable to let go of his past and the woman afraid to trust her future must race to prevent another catastrophic explosion--this one at the county's Fourth of July celebration.

 

“Rooted in the dangerously exotic world of a multi-generational

fireworks company. . . spell-binding.”

--Jeremiah Healy, award-winning author of The Only Good Lawyer and Spiral

 

“A fast-paced mystery that explodes off the page.”

--Ali Brandon, national bestselling author of Double Booked for Death

CLICK ON THE IMAGE

Wow, I'm really loving the new cover that Vicki Landis designed for my book, Heaven's Fire -- what do you think?

"Heaven's Fire" may be what Pasquale Firenze, patriarch of the family-owned Firenze Fireworks, calls his painting of the night sky with light, color and sound, but television producer Wendy "Jake" Jacobus has more practical considerations than her featured showman's artistry. Or so she believes, until Pasquale is killed--live on-camera--by an explosion, and Jake is hurled into a tangled web triggered by her job, her legacy as a cancer survivor, and her growing attraction to Simon Aamot, the federal agent assigned to the investigation.

 

Aamot has problems as well, but when the two are forced together by the tragedy, the man unable to let go of his past and the woman afraid to trust her future must race to prevent another catastrophic explosion--this one at the county's Fourth of July celebration.

 

“Equal parts thriller, romance and family saga . . . a compelling and deeply human read.”

--Joan Johnston, New York Times bestselling author of Texas Bride

 

“Rooted in the dangerously exotic world of a multi-generational fireworks company . . . spell-binding.”

--Jeremiah Healy, award-winning author of The Only Good Lawyer and Spiral

 

“A fast-paced mystery that explodes off the page.”

--Ali Brandon, national bestselling author of Double Booked for Death

 

Goodreads, a huge reader website, is running a giveaway for a signed first-edition of my first book, Uncommon Grounds!

UG is the first of the Maggy Thorsen Mysteries and was published in 2004, by Five Star. It's the only book I did with them, since I moved on to Severn House for the next six (and counting) entries in the series. Uncommon Grounds has been out-of-print for five or six years now, so the giveway is getting a lot of interest.

Here's the link, if you're interested in entering. Just scroll down on the page and you'll see where to enter: 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25120.Uncommon_Grounds

Good luck and happy weekend!!

Sandy

Activated my very first iPhone last night and I can proudly say that I managed to figure out how to transfer my contacts, get email (from 3 different accounts!!), navigate the web, set the World Clock for where my kids and publisher are, download music, pin stuff on Maps; and even successfully apply the clear protective cover over the touch screen. 

Unfortunately, what I didn't know was how to answer calls on the thing until my bank teller showed me this morning.

That was after, bless her, she'd rescued me from the new envelope-free ATM I'd been trying to use. Unsuccessfully.

Just got back to the hotel room after Book Em North Carolina -- WOW, what a GREAT event for literacy. 2000+ readers and writers converging on Lumberton, NC. I am SO proud to have been part of the inaugural event. Author/organizer was p.m. terrell and Trish (Patricia, for the "p.") did a fantastic job. I was an event organizer--audiences of half a million for civic events-- and I have NEVER seen anyone (including myself) inspire the kind of grass-roots support that Trish was able to. Kudos!! Book 'Em asks authors/publishers to provide books for sale--with literacy sharing 40% of sales. For me, I expanded my audience and met SO many nice people. Also loved seeing old friends like Book 'Em Guests of Honor Michael Palmer and Carla Neggers. Everyone answered the call--and we all won. Congratulations, Book 'Em!

Enroute to Book 'em North Carolina a great literacy event in Lumberton, North Carolina. We left Fort Lauderdale around 11 a.m. and made it to the airport exit in Jacksonville, FL. I swear--trying to get out of South Florida is the same as getting through Pennsylvania ... except vertical. ANYway, stumbled on a Quality Inn just off I95 exit 363B (Jcksnville airport)--$43/night? Honestly? And it's great! Remodeled, clean and HUGE room. And free wireless! Why is it that I have to pay for Internet at a hotel I'm paying for $175-$250/night for and I get it here free?? Then, went next door to the #Millhouse and had the best--and I mean, THE best--steak dinner I've had in years. Wow--perfectly cooked filet, truffled mashed potatoes, interesting mushroom asst with caramelized onions (and bacon if you want it). PLUS a really nice 2008 cabernet. It was one of those serendipitous stops--LOVE these completely unexpected discoveries!