Category: Uncategorized

Today I’m going to be genre-specific and talk a little about writing mysteries. Mysteries aren’t only my favorite genre to read, they’re my favorite to write, too. Hope you’ll join me on Roni Griffin’s Fiction Groupie blog to learn more about writing mysteries.

It’s the traveling version of Mystery Writing is Murder today!

First up, I’m at the Cozy Chicks blog—a great group of writers who are also friends of mine. Today I’m posting on how writing about food in our books can add local flavor to our novels.

And, if you’re looking for a quick and easy hors d’oeuvre for your next summer gathering, look no further than my bacon-wrapped, cream cheese-stuffed jalapenos at the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen!

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for the good wishes and congratulations yesterday. :)  It was an exciting day for me—and apparently also a very busy and tiring one,  since I fell asleep last night before 10:00!

Today I’m at my friend, Teresa’s, blog…she’s the Journaling Woman.  I have a little muse on authors from the past and social media.  Hope you’ll join me. :)

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone for their encouragement and support in the comments and emails I’ve received. It’s really appreciated!

Delicious and Suspicious releases today and I couldn’t be more excited. :) I think I’m going to drag my family out to the bookstore so they can see it on the shelf.

Berkley Prime Crime ran a short Q&A with me and put it up on their website. Looking in their sidebar, I’m thrilled to see my book alongside such great July releases.

My contest went really well and thanks so much to all of you who entered—I wish everyone could have won. I put all the entries, double and triple entries into a randomizer and the winner is:

Juliette Harrisson from the United Kingdom! Congratulations, Juliette. :)

Thanks so much, everybody!

As you can imagine, I’m in a marketing haze right now. :) I’ve got postcards with the Delicious and Suspicious cover on them that are on their way to libraries and bookstores.

I’ve sent out ARCs for my book to newspapers and book blogging reviewers.

I’m running a contest (last day to enter!) :)

I’m also setting up lots of visits on different blogs so that a variety of different readers can hear about my book.

I have a book tour set with Jennifer Stanley, Krista Davis, and Avery Aames in early August in North Carolina. We’re even doing a morning show at a radio station.

I spend a good deal of time looking at Amazon numbers for my preorders.

But sometimes what means the most to me is the accidental sale. The effortless marketing that happens completely by chance.

My 8 year old daughter likes emailing back and forth with her friends…especially when she’s out of touch as she was the whole last week while we were at the beach.

“Mama, my friend is going to see an author at the bookstore. I told her that you were an author, too, but you write for grownups.”

“Mmm-hmm.” I’m thinking there’s going to be major lost interest by my daughter’s friend as soon as she realizes I don’t write YA or children’s books.

A few minutes go by.

“What’s the name of your book again? The new book?”

I reminded her of the name of the book and glanced over her shoulder, curiously. She was busily typing “delishus and suspishus.” Which, actually, makes a whole lot more sense than the way it’s really spelled. I went back to my reading.

“Mama, she said that her mom found your book on Barnes and Noble’s website and ordered it.”

Wow. “Can you tell her thanks so much? And if she wants me to sign it, to let me know?”

After all the hours I put into mailings, appearances, etc—sometimes these little mentions, that take no time at all, work best. (Which makes me think I should maybe let more people I’m acquainted with know that I write.)

Maybe I should hire my daughter as my publicist. After I teach her how to spell the name of the book, of course. :)

How are you building up a platform (either pre-publication or post?) What types of marketing are you more comfortable with?

Tomorrow is my release! Today will be the last day to enter my contest—until 8 pm. EST, please…I’ve got to tally my entries and there’s a good-sized number to count. Click here for my book release contest. Entering is easy.