Julia Hughes's Blog, page 22

Crombie and the Great Elephant Stampede.

Alert readers may have noticed a running reference throughout the Celtic Cousins Adventures to the above event. One or two have been curious enough to enquire when this escapade will be reported in full. Alas, like Sherlock Holmes's story of the Giant Rat of Sumatra, the tale of Crombie and the Great Elephant Stampede is one for which the world is not yet prepared. (Apologies to the great Arthur Conan-Doyle, whose British Detective still rules supreme in Amazon's top free download chart.)

However, Crombie and the Alligator is another story entirely – but only now can the full shocking truth be revealed (names have been changed to protect the innocent). An Explosive Time is third in the Celtic Cousins Adventures – consequently it's the last to come out of Amazon's select programme.* So diaries out – after a wet washout July, we're all looking forward to an amazing August, get ready for An Explosive Time and start your summer with a bang!

This story is shorter than its predecessors, A Raucous Time and A Ripple in Time, as action comes thick and fast. There's also less paranormal activity, but a word to the wise: Once again, Wren isn't being entirely honest in telling his cousin Rhyllann that the preternatural sword sometimes known as "Excalibur" has been destroyed.

Instead, the Celtic Cousins are left to rely on the Met Police in the burly shape of Detective Inspector Crombie. One or two readers have commented on Crombie's personality, asking if he's based on me. All I have to say is don't be so cheeky. The only thing I have in common with the grumpy fat man is a green Passat, (also a salvage scheme survivor). I have sons, not daughters and I'm a lot prettier. So there!
Reviews left for An Explosive Time:
"A real page turner. A masterful British thriller." "fast paced and delectable" (Read more on Amazon.com site)
"a frenzy of explosive fun." "gripped from the first sentence" (Read more on Amazon.co.uk)
Have an Explosive Time for free!
*On a more serious note, I'm a fan of Amazon's select programme, and the river god's gift of free promotional days – a great way for readers to discover new writers and stories.  However, enrolling in select means committing exclusive rights, and demand from non-Kindle owners to read the Celtic Cousins Adventures has grown. I'll always be very grateful to Amazon for allowing me a wonderful opportunity to make first contact with first readers. Making the connection is everything, until the story is read, the circle isn't complete.

And no offence to the great man, but look behind you, Crombie might just knock you off that top spot yet!
An Explosive Time starts with an explosion and ends with an even bigger bang. August starts  with a bank holiday - and An Explosive Time will be free to download the first August weekend. A Ripple in Time's last promotional giveaway surpassed all expections, with almost 17,000 downloads. Can Crombie beat this record? Will he ever knock the occupant of 221b Baker Street from the top spot? .... Watch this space!

Area 51? Bleh! Reese City is where it all happens!

Paul Mallory's young bride Julie lied to him, packed her bags and headed out of New York City. Now her life is in danger, and Paul rides to her rescue, only to find himself in a mysterious ghost town. As the truth slowly dawns on our intrepid reporter, there's only one question he wants answered: "Julie, Do You Love Me?"

Reese City provides Paul Mallory with his greatest challenge to date. In the first place – it doesn't exist – at least as far as the general populace of America are concerned. While "Area 51" occupies the conspiracy theorist brigade, Reese City is where the really strange phenomena take place.

Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave, the American government isn't too keen on the world discovering Reese City, let alone what's been going on there for the last seventy years. In this all action page turning thriller, Mallory pitches wits against and battles with foes and "friends" alike, who are on a mission to silence Paul for good.

This is the fourth full length Mallory adventure, as with Stephen's previous novels, I once again had the privilege of reading chapters hot off the press. This was a treat I'd been eagerly anticipating, having grown to love the main characters and the manner in which they interact with each other. Paul Mallory and his encyclopaedic knowledge of trivia, Bentley Cramer and his impervious disregard to rules, and of course the lovely Julie, possessor of a beautiful voice, with a face and figure to match. I thought I knew what to expect: A well written thriller with unexpected twists and turns and enough action to satisfy the most ardent James Bond fan.

"Julie, Do You Love Me" surpassed all expectations. This novel can confidently rub shoulders with the latest thrillers  from 'published' names, and scores on every level: The plot is startlingly original, and will captivate and enthral you. I predict a lot of kindle page turner buttons becoming red hot. Congratulations Stephen, "Julie, Do You Love Me" has all the hallmarks of becoming a bestseller, and I'm confidently expected a whole host of readers to join Mr Cramer's facebook page as dedicated fans.
Strange things have a way of happening in Paul Mallory's world...but THIS may be the strangest one yet.

Julie, Do You Love Me? is available to download to your kindle for around four dollars, from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
Stephen Spencer is freely available on Twitter, @StephenCSpencer, or visit Stephen's website to discover more thrilling Paul Mallory adventures:

It's Always Darkest,
The Devil you Say,
Third Time Lucky.

Fairytale weddings at the double!

 Even the most tomboyish of young girls dream of their wedding day, but once you've found your Prince Charming, actually planning the nitty gritty of the big day can be a mine field. In fact, one of my cousins slipped off to the registry office in her lunch hour, tied the knot, and was back at her desk before anyone noticed she had gone.

Charlie Plunkett is made of sterner steel. She planned not just one perfect day, but two. Luckily for us, Charlie also kept a diary of exactly how she managed this feat, and it's this insight from a 'layman's' point of view that makes this book so valuable. At the end of each week Charlie provides a check list, keeping you on track, along with valuable tips and hints she's learned from experience, making this essential reading for brides to be. For those of us who've been there done that, memories will come flooding back as the author gives us a fascinating glimpse of the build up and excitement that surrounds what should be one the happiest days of your life. Charlie's enthusiasm and joie de vie as she lays down plans to embark on a new life with her groom is contagious, no one will read this book without smiling.

With Charlie holding your hand, there's no excuses now girls! Get your copy of "The True Diary of a Bride to be" and you too will have the wedding of your dreams!

Postscript: The Ultimate Wedding Magazine who scour the country seeking out essential information and must-haves for the perfect day are so impressed by this book, Charlie's true diary has made the front page!

Charlie's Diary Both a fascinating insight into Charlie's own experiences and a valuable 'how to plan your wedding guide' for a limited time only you can download the kindle copy for only £3.08.

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk

The paperback edition is also available from all good bookshops, or order online, at £9.99. 

How to out Churchill Churchill

Churchill  One of my favourite fictional characters has to be Bentley Livingston Cramer, the larger than life media mogul who is the master puppeteer in the Paul Mallory Adventures.

Reading a review copy of "Julie Do You Love Me?"  the penny finally dropped; majestic, cigar smoking and impervious to rules, with his finger on the pulse of current events worldwide, and an uncanny insight into human nature, Bentley is Churchillian in his ability to use his employees as pawns on a giant chessboard.

Like the grand old Duke of Marlborough, Bentley shows no remorse in placing his employees in mortal danger, the ends always justify his means.

Mr Cramer's media empire consists of just one newspaper, which is subscribed to by only a handful of people. Those subscribers though are multi millionaires who pay handsomely for the privilege of having insider information on world changing events almost before they happen. Consequently, added to the allure of power, Bentley is exquisitely rich.

Along with Rafael Nadal, I'd love to go on a dinner date with Bentley – though let's face it the chances of that happening with either one are slim, if not impossible. After all, they're both spoken for! But that doesn't stop me following my favourite men by avidly reading about their exploits.

So in answer to Stephen Spencer's question, "Julie Do You Love Me?" The answer's yes, so long as you continue to indulge my addiction to Bentley, and his fabulous Cramer-isms.

"Julie Do You Love Me" is due to be published on 15th July 2012. If you haven't yet made Bentley's acquaintance, you can catch up with creator Stephen Spencer and his thrilling Paul Mallory novels, staring Bentley Livingstone Cramer here, at Stephen's site. 

16,942 downloads in five days for A Ripple in Time

 What more could anyone ask for? These figures are phenomenal by anyone's standards, let alone an independently published book with what has politely been described as 'A Home Grown Cover' and a zero advertising budget.

I suppose what everyone wants to know is, how I managed to achieve these figures. Well, I asked for a little help from friends, and the indie community responded very generously. I also had insider help. Sean Campbell heard about my promotion, and urged me to read a copy of "Can't Sell, Won't Sell". 

This self help manual originally started life as a series of blog entries – Sean and younger brother Dan charted their progress as first time indie authors and self publishers, with an extra challenge; to produce a best seller within ninety days. They succeeded spectacularly: Dead on Demand hit the ground running and has already attracted a slew of four and five star reviews praising the novel's originality and intricate plot. Figuring I'd pick up one or two helpful hints and had nothing to lose, I did as Sean suggested, there's nothing I enjoy more than picking successful authors' brains. I've seen lots of "You too can be the next John Locke/Amanda Hocking style books around, but never been tempted to buy. One look at the sample chapters was enough. The drum banging trumpet blowing tactics weren't for me. As I began reading "Can't Sell Won't Sell", I relaxed. There are no hard sell tactics. Just good solid advice from authors who have successfully done what they set out to do.

Personally, I would have kept this knowledge to myself. I'm nice, but not that nice. Luckily Sean and Dan are much better people than I, and they want to share with the indie community. Since without reading about their experiences, and how they got to the top A Ripple in Time would now be back amongst the 250,000 ranked ebooks where it usually languishes, I do owe the brothers an awfully big debt, hence I'm helping spread the word. So now you know how I did it. With a lot of help from my friends, and simple down to earth advice, not on how to sell, but how to make potential readers aware that A Ripple in Time existed. Now almost 17,000 readers have A Ripple in Time on their kindle.

Sean and Dan are offering a valuable service to the indie community, and because I took their advice, my promo succeeded beyond most indie authors' wildest dreams. I've been lucky enough to make some really good friends in the indie community, they know me well enough to know I'm not prone to exaggerating, or boasting for that matter. But for those who don't know me that well, here's a screen shot of this month's reports from Amazon for the USA. (I'm not panicking about the returns, presumably these are from folk who thought the promotion was still running.)
Screen shot includes a previous promo conducted prior to reading Can't Sell, Won't Sell. What more could anyone ask for? If even a tenth of people who've downloaded my book read and enjoy, and make a connection, the circle is complete. Can't Sell, Won't Sell is available FREE on the first day of every month. But if you want to get ahead of the competition, you can download now for £4.58, around seven dollars in the States.
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
90 Days Novel Blog

My secret WMD (That's Weapon of Mass Distribution)

With Kindle select 'contract' coming to a close, and the launch of the paperback edition, A Ripple in Time has been set free one last time.*

Free promotions are a great opportunity to get ebooks downloaded onto kindles, and hopefully, even pick up one or two reviews. And of course readers get an opportunity to sample new authors, maybe even new genres.
There is usually a lot of friendly competition amongst indies over who is going to attract the most number of new readers, but always always lots of support from fellow authors, book bloggers and the indie publishing community in general. This time around though, A Ripple in Time has exceeded all expectations, and the extra string to my bow has been woven from gold.
And because I'm a good member of the indie community, and always play nice, I'm letting you all into my secret – 

Sean and Dan Campbell, aka the 90 day novel guys wrote and published a best seller Dead on Demand in – well – under 90 days. Throughout this ambitious project, the brothers Campbell recorded their progress and experiences on their blog, generously sharing their successful marketing methods with other indie authors. Inevitably, demand grew for said blog entries to be published as an ebook, and "Can't Sell, Won't Sell" has proven to be just as well received as the brothers' debut novel.

As mentioned before, I'm a good member of the indie community, and quickly volunteered to skim through a preview copy of 'Can't Sell, Won't Sell.' Some might say I had an ulterior motive in mind. Me, I couldn't possibly comment. But the proof is there in the puddin' –
A Ripple in Time has climbed higher into the freebie charts than ever before and has achieved the giddy heights of the top sixty free downloads. That's the good news for me. The really good news for other indie authors is that 'Can't Sell, Won't Sell' is free on the first day of every month. And it just gets better:

If you can't possibly wait till then, 'Can't Sell, Won't Sell' is on offer at the reduced price of 99 cents, or 77p in the UK, (regular price $6.99) but hurry, this offer will be gone by Midnight Thursday 21st June.
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Special Promo
saves you $6.00

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Free to download
until midnight Thursday 21st.
Special promotions on both eBooks expire midnight Thursday 21st June. Dead on Demand by Sean & Dan Campbell is available from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
A Ripple in Time is preceded by A Raucous Time, and followed by An Explosive Time - which is still in select, and hope you'll join me again for an extra special 'going out with a bang' free promotion on that last title. Watch this space for more details.
*for the foreseeable future.

Exciting new releases & free giveaways!

Just in time for Father's Day! Sworn to secrecy last week by Steven Katriel, I've been in agony trying not to blurt out the launch date for his brilliant debut novel: The Portrait of Alatiel Salazar. Visitors flocked in droves to read my review - you no longer have to take my word that this deserves to be compared with the great gothic classics - you can download a copy right now! Click here for Amazon.co.uk and here for Amazon.com. Wait - I haven't revelaed the price: A teeny tiny 77p. Grab your copy now, and be in at the start - I'm certain Steven's soon going to have a massive following, and deservedly so. Here is a man who is passionate about this craft, this devotion is apparent in every page.

The paperback version of A Ripple in Time also launches today, and to celebrate, the ebook version can be downloaded FREE to Dad's new kindle! Happy Father's Day, whether you're just starting out in this starring role, or whether you're experienced enough to expect the unexpected from your kids, and know to sit back and enjoy the ride. If you'd like to be in with a chance of winning one of three paperback copies, tweet @Tinksaid, or leave a comment.

Come and get 'em while they're still free.

In my opinion free promotions are a marvellous opportunity for unknown writers to get their stories where they should be: Onto readers' kindles. I've been outstandingly lucky, and had a tremendous take-up every time one of the Celtic Cousins' Adventures has gone free. One or two people have even been kind enough to comment publicly if they've enjoyed the stories.

But now that the Celtic Cousins have landed in the physical world, for distribution purposes the ebook editions have been withdrawn from Amazon's KDP programme. However, there are a few promotional days left on each ebook and I intend to make full use of them all.

So, for the last time, A Raucous Time will be free to download from Amazon, until midnight 4th June (this bank holiday Monday). A free promotion on A Ripple in Time will follow within the next three weeks. An Explosive Time will become free in July and August. If you enjoy action and adventure stories with a hint of mystic, give the Celtic Cousins a whirl, it won't cost you a penny or a dime. The thrills are on me, help yourself – and if you could click the 'like' button on the product description page, that'd be really appreciated.


Links to download your free copy:
A Raucous Time (USA)
A Raucous Time (UK)
A Raucous Time (Germany)

And of course, you can always download directly from your kindle. And, don't forget, every time you click on the 'like' button, you're doing an indie author a massive favour.

Create Space – Vanity or Necessity?

Even a couple of years ago the costs of self publishing were prohibitive. Now thanks to the wonders of modern digital printing, Create Space offer a print on demand service, which means there is literally no charge. An offer you can't refuse – and a far cry from the old days, when you'd have to shell out up front to produce three or four hundred copies of your masterpiece – hence the term 'Vanity Publishing'. Although as legendary indie John Locke comments, no-one uses the term self-software publisher for Bill Gates, or even self-painter for artists.

So I sold myself on the idea, held my nose and took the plunge. Since I have enough trouble getting indents to behave themselves, I splashed out and commissioned Casey of Ebook Formatters, who proved to be both talented and patient, to take care of the formatting. It's possible to proof read on line, however Create Space recommend a hard copy galley for first timers, and it didn't cost the earth to have a copy of A Ripple in Time printed up and posted to my little corner of the world. It may be egotistical, but means the old folk will stop driving local librarians mad with their requests for a copy of A Ripple in Time. And I'll admit, much as I love my kindle, and think ebooks are the greatest invention since Caxton's movable type, holding a physical copy of "your book" and leafing through the pages is a magical experience. Try it; it needn't cost a penny, and of course it's another way to get your story where it should be – in the hands of readers.

Coming soon to a bookshop near you!

Just a brief note ...

To say a massive thank you, to everyone who snagged a copy of A Raucous Time, and I really hope if you have the chance to read this adventure, you enjoy the story.