Steve Robinson's Blog, page 4

Kindle sale. Get Kindred and the rest of the series for $1.99 each thru August.

Last month the first four books in my Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery series were in UK and Australia Kindle monthly deals. Now they're of offer in the US at Amazon.com throughout August, and for the first time my new book, KINDRED, is in the promotion.



'This series is a page-turner and keeps getting better and better.'
—Old Bones Genealogy


'Do you remember Stieg Larsson’s first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Yep it was that good and if you liked the Millennium series then you’ll like this series too.'
—LifeInMichigan.com


'If you love a little history with your mystery, you’re going to love Steve Robinson’s genealogical crime series.'
—Kittling Books


'I’ve read and really enjoyed all of Steve’s books, and it’s hard to say which is best because they’re all great.'
—GenealogyUK.com

99p Kindle Monthly Deal thru July

Kindle Sale!This month you can get the first four books in my bestselling Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery series at just 99p each for Kindle in the UK and for .99AUD in Australia.
UK Amazon link  Australia Amazon Link 

KINDRED - OUT NOW!

KINDRED - the fifth Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery is out now!

It's publication day and my new Jefferson Tayte mystery is out!  If you're following the series, or want to start, I sincerely hope you enjoy it. The reviews from advance copy readers so far have been excellent with comments like this one from Cleopatra Loves Books: 'I don’t know if I have the right words to convey just how exceptional this book is; the storytelling was perfect ... An absolutely wonderful story.' You can read the full review HERE.
The most difficult book I've ever written.If you would like to read about the inspiration and the challenges I faced while writing Kindred, I've added a detail page to my website, which gives some insight into why this book was so difficult for me to write. Follow this LINK to my website to read more.


If you'd like to hear Simon Vance's performance of Kindred you can listen to a sample on my website, or by clicking the link on my blog sidebar to the right. Telling Jefferson Tayte's own family history story has been a marvellous journey, often dark, but always fascinating. I very much hope you enjoy reading it. 

KINDRED - Out 12 April

NEW RELEASEI'm very excited to say that my new Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery KINDRED will be out this month on 12 April. It follows on from The Lost Empress, which was released in October 2014, and as with all the books in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone story.
I'm also very pleased to report that multi-award winning narrator Simon Vance has once again performed the audio editions, and having listened to it I can say that fans of audio books are in for another treat.
WIN A COPY
If you would like to chance to win 1 of 20 copies of KINDRED in paperback, follow this LINK to enter the Goodreads giveaway, which runs until the launch on the 12th.
Netgalley members can request a download for review HERE. 


If you can't wait until the 12th to start reading, here's a snippet to whet your appetite. Click the link at the end of this extract to read the full prologue and a little bit of JT's opening chapter.


Prologue
Karwendel Mountains. Bavaria, Germany. November 1973.He wished now that he had taken the road. The road would have led him down to a town or village where he could have sought help. But he knew that if he had tried to escape by the road, he would already be dead. The mountains, on the other hand, gave him places to hide, but beneath an overcast sky, amidst frozen rocks that were already partly settled with snow, he felt so cold. He pulled his jumper up over his mouth and tried to calm himself. His breath, swirling up into the chill morning air, could certainly give him away. Despite trying to warm his hands in his pockets and in the folds of his jumper, his pale, blueing fingertips were already losing sensation and he had only stopped to rest for a few minutes. He had to keep moving...
Follow this LINK to read more. I hope you enjoy it.

To coincide with the release of KINDRED Amazon have reduced the price of the entire series in the US to $1.99 this month for Kindle and $7.99 in paperback, and in the UK they have extended last month's Kindle promotion until 17 April at £1.99. Here's a LINK to my author page in your country, where you can find out more about my books, or you can visit my website HERE.


SALE!

Get all my highly rated mystery thrillers for just 99p each through March.

Kindle Monthly Deal!


'Do you remember Stieg Larsson’s first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Yep it was that good.'
Ahead of the launch of my 5th book in the highly rated Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery series, Kindred, which is out 12 April, Amazon have reduced the price of my books on Kindle in the UK to just 99p during March, and in the Amazon store Australia to $1.49 as part of their Kindle Monthly Deal.
If you're looking for a new angle on crime fiction, and particularly if you enjoy cold case mysteries, why not take a look at the reviews and maybe try one out while they're on offer?

 Click to visit my Amazon author page.

The charity auction has begun!

CLIC Sarget 'Get in Character' 2016 fundraiser.
I'm helping to raise funds for children and young people with cancer. If you would like the chance to be a named character in my sixth Jefferson Tayte book, and receive a personalised signed copy of the book once it's released, please follow this
For more information, and to see a list of all the other authors taking part, please visit CLIC Sargent HERE.

THANK YOU!

Get in Character 2016 charity fundraiser

Get in Character 2016This year I'm once again very proud to say that I've been invited to take part in CLIC Sargent's 'Get in Character' charity fundraiser for children and young people with cancer. In short it's an eBay auction where the winning bidder gets to have their name, or the name of a loved one, immortalised in one of my Jefferson Tayte mystery thriller books, together with a personalised signed copy from me. The eBay auction runs from Thursday 25 February for ten days. See below for all the details. I hope you can join in.

Your name, their bookWhatever genre you love to read – be it crime, chick-lit, thriller or romance – from Thursday, 25 February 2016 we have a fantastic selection of authors taking part in a unique 10-day eBay auction to name a character in a forthcoming novel after you or a loved one:Alex ShawAli McNamaraAnthony McGowan & Jo NadinAnouska KnightCatherine AlliottClare DonoghueEmma HanniganElly GriffithsEmma DonoghueJodi TaylorHolly MartinJane FallonAmanda JenningsJulie CohenKate EllisKatie FfordeKaty ReganLisa JewellLuca VesteLucy ClarkePaula HawkinsRenee KnightRoger EllorySanta MontefioreSara GruenSarah HilarySarah MorganSimon KernickStephen EdgarSteve RobinsonTim WeaverTammy CohenPenny HancockChristie BarlowGet bidding Paula Hawkins, writer of the best-selling novel The Girl on a Train, is proud to be involved with Get in Character.She said: "CLIC Sargent does invaluable work helping children and young people coping with the most difficult of circumstances."

It's an honour to be able to help out with a donation of a character name for my new book.

There is also the chance to get your hands on signed books from Lee Child, Ian Rankin, Tania Carver, Peter James, Liane Moriarty and Kathy Reichs, and aspiring writers can bid to have their work critiqued by best-selling authors Eve Seymour, Claire Dyer and Philippa Ashley.Last year, the Get in Character auction raised £14,500 to help CLIC Sargent provide clinical, practical and emotional support to children, young people with cancer and their families.The bidding starts at 8pm Thursday, 25 February and ends at 8pm Sunday, 6 March 2016.Find out morePlease contact our team by emailing: charityauction@clicsargent.org.uk.

€0.99 sale on all my books throughout February

If you do your grocery shopping in Euros, during February you can pick up all of the books in my highly rated Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery series (English language editions) for just €0.99 each for Kindle. Follow this LINK to visit my author page at the Amazon store in your country for offers.

Two hundred years ago a loyalist family fled to England to escape the American War of Independence and seemingly vanished into thin air. American genealogist Jefferson Tayte is hired to find out what happened, but it soon becomes apparent that a calculated killer is out to stop him.In the Blood combines a centuries-old mystery with a present-day thriller that brings two people from opposite sides of the Atlantic together to uncover a series of carefully hidden crimes. Tayte's research centres around the tragic life of a young Cornish girl, a writing box, and the discovery of a dark secret that he believes will lead him to the family he is looking for. Trouble is, someone else is looking for the same answers and will stop at nothing to find them.In the Blood is the first book in the Jefferson Tayte mystery series.

A curiously dated child’s suitcase arrives, unannounced and unexplained, in a modern-day Washington suburb. A week later, American genealogist Jefferson Tayte is sitting in an English hotel room, staring at the wrong end of a loaded gun.In his latest journey into the past, Tayte lands in wartime Leicestershire, England. The genealogist had hoped simply to reunite his client with the birth mother she had never met, having no idea she had been adopted. Instead, he uncovers the tale of a young girl and an American serviceman from the US 82nd Airborne, and a stolen wartime love affair that went tragically wrong.With To the Grave, Steve Robinson confirms his status as a master of the taut and delicately constructed historical thriller.This is the second book in the Jefferson Tayte mystery series, which begins with In the Blood but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story.
While on a visit to London, American genealogist Jefferson Tayte’s old friend and colleague dies in his arms. Before long, Tayte and a truth-seeking historian, Professor Jean Summer, find themselves following a corpse-ridden trail that takes them to the Royal Society of London, circa 1708.What to make of the story of five men of science, colleagues of Isaac Newton and Christopher Wren, who were mysteriously hanged for high treason?As they edge closer to the truth, Tayte and the professor find that death is once again in season. A new killer, bent on restoring what he sees as the true, royal bloodline, is on the loose...as is a Machiavellian heir-hunter who senses that the latest round of murder, kidnapping, and scandal represents an unmissable business opportunity. The Last Queen of England is a racing thriller with a heart-stopping conclusion. It follows on from In the Blood and To the Grave but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel.
From acclaimed author Steve Robinson comes a bold new Jefferson Tayte mystery.On a foggy night in 1914, the ocean liner Empress of Ireland sank en route between Canada and England. The disaster saw a loss of life comparable to the Titanic and the Lusitania, and yet her tragedy has been forgotten.When genealogist Jefferson Tayte is shown a locket belonging to one of the Empress’s victims, a British admiral’s daughter named Alice Stilwell, he must travel to England to understand the course of events that led to her death.Tayte is expert in tracking killers across centuries. In The Lost Empress, his unique talents draw him to one of the greatest tragedies in maritime history as he unravels the truth behind Alice’s death amidst a backdrop of pre-WWI espionage.This is the fourth book in the Jefferson Tayte mystery series but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story. 

IN THE BLOOD - over 100,000 copies sold with Thomas & Mercer - series close to half a million sales.

A Christmas present from my publisher
I received a very nice Christmas present from my publisher, Thomas & Mercer, recently: a commemorative framed copy of my first book in the Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery series, IN THE BLOOD, for exceeding sales of 100,000 copies with them since they took over publication in March 2014. It's taken pride of place on the wall in my writing cabin.
Reaching this milestone prompted me to add up how many copies have been bought across the entire series since first publication in May 2011, and I was staggered to see that the figure is now close to half a million! However did that happen? It's wonderful to know that so many readers have enjoyed reading my books, and will hopefully continue to do so. A big thank you to everyone.


2015
This year has been both distracting and exciting for me. I'd been putting off some home improvements for several years while I concentrated on my books, but during the summer the work finally began. It was more home renovation than decoration as all the walls had to be re-plastered, all the woodwork replaced, which as you can imagine is a very messy and disruptive business. Thankfully I have my writing cabin in the garden, where I was able to plot much of my 6th Jefferson Tayte book, but the improvements turned into such a hands on project though that I had to abandon all hope of starting to write book 6 until the house was finished, which I'm very glad to say it now is. As 2016 approaches, I'm really looking forward to writing the book that's been turning though my mind while I've been cutting skirting boards, changing electrical sockets, filling and painting and goodness knows what else.
The year has also been peppered with highlights. I finished writing KINDRED and I'm so looking forward to its publication in the spring. All the edits are done and the description finalised (see below if you've not already read what it's about). All that's left to finalise is the jacket cover, which I'm very pleased with. Hopefully I'll be able to share that with you very soon. 2015 also saw the very first translation publication of one of my books - IN THE BLOOD - into the German language, and it's also just been released, along with TO THE GRAVE, in the Czech language. On top of that, a few weeks ago I was informed that IN THE BLOOD is now being translated into French for release in the latter half of 2016.
One of the biggest highlights of the year has to be the November promotion in the UK Kindle store, which was to see all four of my currently published books in the top 100 for most of the month. At their peak, they were all in the top 30, with two in the top 10, and IN THE BLOOD reached No.3! The book has been out for a while now, so I wasn't expecting anything like that. It was a lovely surprise and it's great to see such interest in the series and in my leading man, Jefferson Tayte.

KINDRED
For audiobook fans, I'm very pleased to announce that Simon Vance will be narrating my latest book. He's done a wonderful job with all the characters in the series so far, so I'm very pleased that he's on board again for KINDRED - particularly as JT will sound the same as before.

Here's the description of KINDRED for the back of the jacket:

Jefferson Tayte is good at finding people who don’t want to be found. For years he has followed faint genealogical trails to reunite families—and uncover long-hidden secrets. But Tayte is a loner, a man with no ties of his own; his true identity is the most elusive case of his career.
But that could all be about to change. Now Tayte has in his possession the beginnings of a new trail—clues his late mentor had started to gather—that might at last lead to his own family. With Professor Jean Summer, his partner in genealogical sleuthing, he travels to Munich to pick up the scent. But the hunt takes them deep into dangerous territory: the sinister secrets of Hitler’s Germany, and those who must keep them buried at any cost.
When their investigations threaten to undermine a neo-Nazi organisation, Tayte and Summer know time is running out. Can they find their way to the dark heart of a deadly history before they become its latest victims?

2016
I'm very excited about 2016 and I hope you are too. I can't wait to chat about KINDRED with you and to share my progress again with my next book as I get down to writing it. I've usually made a good dent in the word count target by now, so I have some catching up to do, but now that my house is a home again and order has been restored, I'm raring to go!
I'm also delighted to have been invited to participate in the CLIC Sargent charity fundraiser for children with cancer again. It starts on 25 February, so please look out for that. It's an eBay auction called 'Get in Character' where you can bid to have your name immortalised in one of my books. Last year the bid was won by a lady called Jan Statham who has now become a key character in KINDRED, so next time it could be you, or a loved one as you can nominate a name if you win.

Whatever your hopes and plans for 2016, I wish you every success, good health and much happiness. 
Steve

£1 each for Kindle UK through November

Amazon are running a promotion on the Kindle editions of all of my Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery books in the UK this month. For a limited time you can get them for just £1 each - £4 for the whole series so far. They're shown here in order of publication, although each book is a complete story in itself.

I was very exited to see them shoot up the charts when the promotion began. Right now, In the Blood is in the UK Kindle Store top 20, and the rest of the books aren't far behind it.

The series is highly rated by Mystery lovers around the world, who have collectively given the series an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars after thousands of reviews. If you've not read them yet and think you might like to follow JT as he digs up the past, there's no better time to try them.






Here's what some readers have said about the books:

'This series is a page-turner and keeps getting better and better.’—Old Bones Genealogy

'Do you remember Stieg Larsson’s first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Yep it was that good and if you liked the Millennium series then you’ll like this series too.’ —LifeInMichigan.com

‘Steve Robinson’s books just keep getting better. What I found exceptionally well done was Mena’s story. Robinson made that era come to life.’ —Cathy Cole, Kittling Books

'For me, this was more than a crime mystery novel; it was a piece of fiction every bit as good as Ian McEwan’s Atonement.’ —George Hamilton, author

'It was so hard to stop reading when I was jet-lagged and exhausted that I actually woke up at 5 a.m. to finish the book. Now, that's suspense!’ —TheFamilyCurator.com

'I’ve read and really enjoyed all of Steve’s books, and it’s hard to say which is best because they’re all great.’ —GenealogyUK.com

'If you’re a Dan Brown fan, like I am, this book is fantastic.’ —A Year in the Life of a Reader

‘The story intrigued me and didn’t let go. I read well into the night and the ending put a sleepy smile on my face.’ —FictionZeal.com

'Robinson writes great stories that weave the present and the past together to tell a wonderful genealogical tale. If you like a good mystery with a genealogy twist, I highly recommend this series.’ —Julie Cahill, Genealogy & History Hub

'You can't help loving the somewhat overweight and uncoordinated Jefferson with his love of chocolate bars and his timidity of aggressive women. Enjoyed this read and look forward to the next Tayte book.’ —Liz K, author, travel writer, book reviewer and family historian