My second book is up for pre-order and releasing on September 1st, 10 days away as of today. I’ve been doing a mish-mash of brainstorming Book 3, marketing Books 1 and 2, and overall bouncing from task to task. Let’s have a look.

Promo Stack on Driftless Spirits – Results

With the idea to create a little momentum of readers picking up Driftless Spirits who might carry over into Tangled Roots, I booked a 3-day Cozy Mystery promo stack with Written Word Media. Next time I might try a different category. I sold about 50 books over the three days, which felt underwhelming given the quoted several hundred thousand subscribers on the targeted lists. Still, for a brief time, Driftless Spirits cracked a Top 1oo list on Kindle:

Driftless Spirits remains $0.99 everywhere ebooks are sold. Here’s a universal link to help you find it!

New Release Spot for Tangled Roots on Bookbub

Tangled Roots was accepted for a New Releases for Less promotion with Bookbub, happening on Release Day, September 1st, under the Supernatural Suspense category. The promo price is $2.99. As the overarching Secrets in Casten’s Horn story develops, I find I’m writing somewhere between atmospheric cozy mystery and ghost mystery/suspense. I’m confident Supernatural Suspense readers will enjoy Tangled Roots and I’m looking forward to seeing how my first Bookbub promotion performs.

Bookbub Ads

I’ve been trying to learn to use Bookbub Ads effectively. Half the problem is creating an eye-catching ad with a clear message, and the other half is targeting the right message to the readers of specific authors who might also enjoy my work. Here’s my gallery of fails, though I don’t know which part of the ad/targeting combo is the problem yet:

The “dream” one is the latest, an attempt at a cleaner look.

Awaiting Print Proof for Tangled Roots

I ordered the print proof for Tangled Roots from Draft2Digital on August 13th. No word yet on production or shipping. I will have to note how long this one takes and plan accordingly for Book 3. I am still hopeful that the print proof arrives before September 1st, everything is fine, and I press Publish. Right after that, I need to order copies for some loyal readers I’ll be visiting towards the end of September.

The pre-order pages for the Tangled Roots ebook are everywhere, however, and it’s a spooky read just time for the Halloween season. Here’s the universal link for Book 2.

Brainstorming Book 3

The first line of Book 3 (as well as the title) eludes me still, but I’ve scribbled a lot of good ideas in my journals in the last couple weeks. There’s a list of story arcs that must progress and a new character I’ve hinted at for two books now that must finally emerge. I feel pretty committed to the third book happening in winter, and probably centered around a special holiday festival in Casten’s Horn. I’ve written down a lot of background material, getting my facts straight before I start writing. However, my husband’s advice is to stop overanalyzing and start typing. He’s probably right.