Frank Hofer's Blog, page 7

Match Book

Coming Soon: Duck Blood Soup is joining a new Amazon program called “Match Book”. For Duck Blood Soup, this will mean that if you buy the paper-back version, you will also get the Kindle version for free. More details to follow.

Got it covered?

The paperback version of Duck Blood Soup arrived yesterday for proofing. It was exciting to hold a paperback version of the book and I really liked the way the text and cover turned out, but I have to wonder if a different cover would increase our readership.

Currently the eBook and the paperback version have the map of Eizenfeng and Ozeanchor on the cover. The cover is fairly unique, which may draw attention to it, but is it too different and to amateur looking?

I have some ideas for a more traditional cover, but I’m not sure if they would be better or worse than the existing cover. Most covers of fantasy books seem to have one or more main characters, usually in some type of danger or action scene from the book. Sometimes the covers give you an ominous sense of peril the antagonist will face.

Duck Blood Soup’s current cover doesn’t have any of those features. A map shows you that the story involves two countries and a number of cities, but doesn’t give you any indication of the characters involved or what their struggles will be. On the plus side, their are no preconceived notions of what the characters/villains look like, so the reader decides exactly what they look like.

So what are your thoughts?

Now in Real Book Form

Duck Blood Soup is now available in hardcopy at http://www.createspace.com/4314580 and it should be available on amazon.com within a few weeks. The current list of sites where you can buy Duck Blood Soup will always be in the pull-down menu on the right of the page and at http://duckblood.com/purchase/

And the Winner Is…

We submitted the first line of Duck Blood Soup to a “first line” contest. Basically, send in the first line of the book (with no other information, not even the title) and the book with the best first line wins. Today, Duck Blood Soup was declared the winner.

http://www.brianwfoster.com/contest/

New Platforms Coming Soon

Starting today, Duck Blood Soup is no longer free through the Kindle Lending Library. What does that mean? Duck Blood Soup will soon be available on other e-readers such as Nook, iBooks, Sony Reader, Kobo, and so on. Duck Blood Soup will still be available on Kindle but will no longer be sold exclusively through amazon.com

We will keep you updated with a complete list of links where Duck Blood Soup can be purchased when they become available.

Up first: Smashwords

Free this weekend – May 25 and 26

Last weekend’s give-away was so good we’re doing it again. Duck Blood Soup is once again free on May 25 and 26.

http://www.amazon.com/Duck-Blood-Soup-Caldarium-ebook/dp/B00AGOISEU/

These are not your ordinary vampires.

When Eizenfeng’s leading wizards combine science with magic, the world changes dramatically. Technological advancements, coupled with racial and economic tensions propel the country toward war with a longtime ally. Jeunelux is oblivious to the building turmoil; scorching days harvesting tomatoes and her annoying older brother are more pressing concerns.

Suddenly, strange dreams that haunt her nights become reality. Jeunelux, along with two other untrained and unlicensed wizards embark on a quest to save the girl’s father, rescue a giant, and prevent a war. The three friends must quickly hone their magical skills and take on responsibilities beyond their years to save innocent lives.

http://www.amazon.com/Duck-Blood-Soup-Caldarium-ebook/dp/B00AGOISEU/

Manresa Cookbook

Many of the dishes described in Duck Blood Soup were actually prepared at Manresa restaurant in Los Gatos, California. Chef David Kinch is publishing a new cookbook, and while I don’t know if it will have any of the food I describe in our book, one can hope. You can find out more at http://manresarestaurant.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-preview-of-manresa-edible-reflection.html

Last Day

Last day: These are not vampires in Duck Blood Soup. Get it free today at http://www.amazon.com/Duck-Blood-Soup-Caldarium-ebook/dp/B00AGOISEU/

Thanks for the Tweet

Thanks to Dalton Cyr for the tweet promoting Duck Blood Soup to his 10K+ followers.

https://www.facebook.com/DaltonCyrOfficialFanPage

Dalton Cyr
12 year old award winning singer, songwriter, musician and recording artist and Jax Beach native Dalton Cyr released his debut 11 song album “I’ll Be There”, entirely written and co-written by Cyr just two weeks after his 12th birthday. In late 2012 he did a six state tour to promote his album, join…

Free Duck Blood Soup – May 17, 18, and 19

Science meets magic in Duck Blood Soup and you can get it for free from May 17th through 19th. Save a father, rescue a giant, and prevent a war.

Download your free copy at http://www.amazon.com/Duck-Blood-Soup-Caldarium-ebook/dp/B00AGOISEU/