Nancy J. Cohen's Blog: Nancy's Notes from Florida

NINC2025 Day Three

Friday at NINC2025 (Novelists, Inc.) writers conference offered numerous workshops for published authors. First, I attended a talk on TikTok for Authors with Kate Hall. Kate spoke about how to approach videos for TikTok and demonstrated a live one right there. She gave suggestions for topics and suggested the book promotion be subtle. These were all good tips should I dip my toes into this social media site.

     

Next, I went to Finding Success with Wide & Direct Audio with Rebecca Hefner. Rebecca runs several promotional sites for audiobooks that I need to try, so it was invaluable hearing her advice. She also spoke about audio promo on other sites such as Chirp, Kobo Plus, Google Play and YouTube.

 

Buffet Lunch today was Italian food. I stuffed myself with a good meal.

   

Afterward, I went to Wide & Promo: How D2D’s Promo Team Increases Visibility with Mark Lefebvre. Here I learned more tips from Draft2Digital, where my books are uploaded for wide distribution.

 

My last workshop of the day was Global by Design: How Kobo Powers Wide Publishing Growth with Tara Cremin. I realized I need to upload my audiobooks there directly rather than through InAudio. This was another informative discussion. Also, I’d never known “Kobo” was an anagram of “Book.”

 

This evening, I went to dinner with my editor, Marsha Zinberg from The Write Touch. I was pleased to also greet my formatter, Judi Fennel from formatting4u.com who was at the conference. We had a chance to chat briefly on our way to MOSHH yesterday. Overall, my brain is overwhelmed by all the info it’s absorbing. Thankfully, I’ve been taking notes that can guide me once I’m home.

NINC2025 Day Two

Thursday at the #NINC2025 (Novelists, Inc.) writers conference began with a hearty breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Needing to walk off the calories, my roommate, Janice Hardy, and I headed to the beach for a stroll and to collect seashells for my grandson. It was relaxing to squish our feet in the sand and to listen to the waves swishing onshore.

 

     

We cleaned up and headed to the two-hour MOSHH event in The Pavilion. This was like speed-dating with industry sponsors. We had a passport booklet to fill with stamps from each vendor and then to exchange for raffle tickets. This frenzy didn’t allow us a lot of time to speak with each person, but it was enough to learn what each site offered for authors. I learned about new programs and met relevant contacts. Specifically, I wanted to learn more from InAudio, Spotify, Chirp and Kobo regarding audiobook promotion.

 

Many more sponsors were available to discuss their sites such as ACX, Audio Sorceress, BookBub, BookFunnel, Bookvault, Curios, Draft2Digital, Dreamscape, IngramSpark, Podium, Reedsy, Tantor, Written Word Media and more. We could also make individual appointments with these reps. In my opinion, meeting these key industry personnel made the entire conference worthwhile. This was my prime purpose in coming, aside from learning the latest marketing tips and tricks from other multi-published authors.

We had to stand in place while the raffle winners were called, which would have been more tolerable with chairs. The items in the baskets were donated by the sponsors. Mimosas were complimentary along with a selection of sliced cake and wrapped candy bars. Overall, it was a fun albeit frantic event that left me exhausted.

I plopped my bag of swag in our room and then went to lunch, which was a Mexican-style buffet.

Then it was off to a series of workshops and more meetups with industry reps. I attended a session by Chirp on Maximizing Your Audiobook Revenue, met with one of the reps above, and hung out to meet people. Not familiar with Chirp? Owned by BookBub, it’s a similar concept but with Audiobooks. Sign up free for their daily newsletter and get a list of bargain audiobook titles sent to your Inbox.

 

In the networking suite off the main hall, Happy Hour every evening included a free daily drink and a selection of bagged pretzels or peanuts. An open bar was also available. This evening, Janice and I headed to dinner at Snapper’s Sea Grill. Janice had the coconut curry snapper, and I had coconut-cashew crusted mahi mahi. It was delicious but too much for me to eat. I took leftovers back to the hotel to eat for lunch on Saturday. How nice that we have a kitchen with a fridge and microwave. It’s also fully stocked with dishes and flatware. Then we went back to our room to unwind for the evening.

 

NINC2025 Day One

On Day One of the Novelists, Inc. (#NINC2025) 2025 conference, my friend Janice Hardy and I checked into the Tradewinds Island Grand Resort at St. Pete Beach. I’d attended this writers’ conference many years before and remembered this resort with fondness. The Grand Colonnade main hall is still impressive and was the site for many of our workshops and networking. After registering and receiving our name badges, we mingled for a social hour and enjoyed complimentary ice cream novelties from a food cart.

I greeted Neil Plakcy, a mystery writer friend whom I’ve known for many years and met some new faces. Most everyone else I encountered were romance writers. Janice and I filled out a bingo card that was a good icebreaker and then wandered off to inspect the facilities.

Sadly, many of the hotel’s amenities were damaged by hurricanes. The seaside restaurant was closed as were some other areas. But our suite more than made up for any deficits. We had a twin bedroom but also an entire other room with a fully-equipped kitchenette, table and chairs, tv and sofa, and an armchair. We’d opted for a gulf-side view and had a balcony with a broad view of the ocean. The suite couldn’t have been more perfect. This was room 7211 in the Island Grande.

 

 

We ambled toward Salty’s Tiki Hut on the beach for cocktails, sat and chilled for a while, then headed back to the room to rest.

 

 

Dinner was a buffet with barbecued chicken and ribs, baked beans and potato salad, rolls and butter, corn on the cob and salad. A choice of desserts followed. I had the warm peach cobbler. I am liking the networking opportunities that this conference provides. Everything was super well organized, thanks to the #NINC2025 conference coordinators.

 

 

Book Tour Reviews MPAC

It’s gratifying to see what reviewers think of your book when doing a virtual book tour. Here are some quotes from my virtual tour for Murder Pays a Call. This also shows the benefit of doing a book tour. You’re exposed to new readers who might otherwise not know about your book, and you garner some fresh reviews.

Christa Reads and Writes
“There are multiple intertwined mysteries to be solved with a steady pace and surprises along the way. Even better, there’s a hint of romance coming for Keri…. All in all, a great start for a new series.”

Socrates’ Book Reviews
“I adored Keri right from the start. She has determination and a strength that couldn’t be held back. Her supporting cast is a group of interesting characters with much promise for exciting future stories… This adventure went by fast for me. I couldn’t put it down until the case was solved.

Dru’s Book Musing
“This is a delightfully entertaining and well-written whodunit that I could not put down until all was said and done. The author did a great job in staging this mystery with a pool of suspects, who all had strong motives, saturated with clues that kept me immersed. A great beginning in this new series.”

Fresh Fiction
“Nancy J. Cohen has built a detailed mystery with multiple strands of motive, personality and history… A great start to a lively series.”

Fresh Fiction – Review #2
“Filled with fun social events, future romantic interests, good solid writing and direction, MURDER PAYS A CALL will keep readers entertained all the way to the end.”

Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery and a Dachshund
“I enjoyed the twist at the end and the reveal which was really exciting.”

The Girl with Bangs
“A Cozy Murder Mystery with Twists and Turns…”

The Avid Reader 
“Murder Pays a Call is a cute cozy with a sudden death, surprising secrets, a surplus of suspects, catering to clients, curious clues, a chance at romance, and a killer reveal.”

KRL News and Reviews
“Keri must follow the leads like threads in an intricate pattern which doesn’t take shape before the big reveal… This series starter checks all the cozy boxes and promises plenty of possibilities for future reads.”

fundinmental 
“Nancy J Cohen is a master storyteller when it comes to the cozy mystery genre. Murder Pays A Call surpassed my expectations. Usually cozies are too tame for me, but Murder Pays A Call is not your run of the mill cozy.”

N.N. Light’s Book Heaven
“From the first page until the last, this mystery captivated my imagination… The descriptive narration is immersive. The mystery plot is complex with plenty of clues, false clues, investigation, and a satisfying ending. The characters are colorful, relatable, and entertaining. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.”

@bibliophile_foodie 
“I really liked how Keri handled the investigation. She’s smart, curious, and not afraid to ask tough questions. Her friends and coworkers added a lot to the story and I enjoyed their support and banter.”

Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book 
“Murder Pays a Call has set this series off to a marvelous start. With a strong puzzling mystery and well-developed characters, this story was a real page-turner. I love the personal concierge theme.”

Sapphyria’s Book Reviews
“With a cleverly written mystery, Murder Pays a Call pulled me in and kept me engaged. I enjoyed meeting Keri and learning about her business, which is unique and I loved it. She’s kind and capable as she searches for clues to the identity of the suspect, while trying to stay out of danger.”

Boys’ Mom Reads!
“Murder Pays a Call is the first book in veteran author Nancy J. Cohen’s new Keri Armstrong Cozy Mystery series and proves itself to be a fun, page-turner of a debut…This novel provided a very pleasant evening of feet-up, kicked-back cozy mystery entertainment.”

Cozy Up With Kathy
“Strong characters and an intriguing mystery make MURDER PAYS A CALL a great start to a new series.”

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour

Join me on a virtual book tour Sept. 11-21 to celebrate the release of MURDER PAYS A CALL. Interviews, reviews, spotlights and guest posts! Please leave a comment at each site and be sure to enter the grand prize giveaway.

September 11 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

September 11 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

September 12 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

September 12 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 13 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

September 13 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR GUEST POST

September 14 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY

September 14 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT

September 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

September 15 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 15 – Angel’s Book Nook – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 16 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

September 16 – @bibliophile_foodie – REVIEW

September 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

September 17 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – AUTHOR GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY

September 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

September 18 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

September 19 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – SPOTLIGHT

September 19 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

September 20 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

September 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW & AUTHOR INTERVIEW

New Release – Murder Pays a Call

I’m excited to announce the release of Murder Pays a Call, a brand-new cozy mystery! To celebrate, I’m doing a virtual book tour Sept. 1-21. Please join me at these sites for fun and prizes as we welcome Keri Armstrong, my newest sleuth.

BOOK DETAILS

Personal concierge Keri Armstrong will accept almost any job, but solving murders wasn’t on her to-do list—until now.  

When personal concierge Keri Armstrong swings by her favorite client’s mansion to drop off groceries, she expects a heartfelt chat along with a cup of tea—not Fiona Sullivan dead in bed and her room ransacked. Though police chalk it up to a botched robbery, Keri isn’t so sure. Whispers around town suggest Fiona wasn’t as adored as Keri had believed, and many of the philanthropist’s so-called friends in affluent Sunny Grove, Florida seem glad she’s gone.

Keri refuses to let Fiona’s memory be reduced to malicious gossip. Armed with a keen eye, insider access, and a fully charged tablet, she sets out to uncover the truth. Soon her file of suspects grows faster than her to-do list. Between sneaky neighbors, resentful relatives, and tight-lipped charity board members, Fiona left behind a trail of frenemies who’d happily skip her memorial brunch.

As Keri digs deeper, she discovers her late mentor had a gift for extracting people’s secrets and using them like fine china—carefully storing them until they could serve a purpose. But Fiona also kept a few skeletons in her own walk-in closet. Now, with danger creeping closer, Keri must race to crack the case before her number comes up next… and Murder Pays a Call.

ORDER NOW  

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/MurderPaysACall
Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F8NNP8NN
Amazon Print: https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Pays-Call-Nancy-Cohen/dp/1952886376
Apple Books: http://books.apple.com/us/book/id6745017605
Barnes & Noble Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-pays-a-call-nancy-j-cohen/1147426091?ean=2940184416052
Barnes & Noble Print: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-pays-a-call-nancy-j-cohen/1147426091?ean=9781952886379
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=BhZYEQAAQBAJ
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/murder-pays-a-call

Large Print Edition coming on Feb. 1, 2026!

APPEARANCES

Sept. 8 – Fresh Fiction – AUTHOR INTERVIEW “Twenty Questions” & BOOK REVIEW

Sept. 9 – Dru’s Book Musing – CHARACTER GUEST POST “A Day in the Life”

Sept. 9 – N.N. Light’s Book Heaven – SPOTLIGHT

Sept. 10 – “A Cozy Authors’ Chat” with Nancy J. Cohen and Maggie Toussaint to celebrate our new releases.

Sept. 15 – Cozy Mystery Party – AUTHOR TAKEOVER with fun & prizes.

Sept. 11-21 Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour – Interviews, spotlights, guest posts, reviews and giveaways.

See my full tour schedule at https://nancyjcohen.com/appearances/

Book Tour Schedule

Please join me in celebrating the Sept. 9 release of MURDER PAYS A CALL, #1 in the Keri Armstrong mysteries, by following my virtual book tour. Your participation is welcome and appreciated! For updates and exact URLs, revisit this page or go to https://nancyjcohen.com/appearances/

Aug. 28 – The Roll Top Desk – “And Now for Something a Little Bit Different” with M.E. Proctor

Aug. 31 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

Sept. 1 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW

Sept. 1 – Dru’s Book Musing – REVIEW

Sept. 8 – Fresh Fiction Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Sept. 9 – Dru’s Book Musing – CHARACTER GUEST POST “A Day in the Life” & Giveaway

Sept. 9 – N.N. Light’s Book Heaven – SPOTLIGHT

Sept. 10, 7:00 – 8:00 ET – Book Launch Party – A COZY AUTHORS’ CHAT with Nancy J. Cohen and Maggie Toussaint as we discuss our new releases and giveaways!

Sept. 11-21 – Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour 

September 11 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

September 11 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

September 12 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

September 12 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 13 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

September 13 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR GUEST POST

September 14 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY

September 14 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT

September 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

Sept. 15, 7:00 – 8:00 pm ET –– Cozy Mystery Party – AUTHOR TAKEOVER with Fun & Prizes

September 15 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 15 – Angel’s Book Nook – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 16 – N.N. Light’s Book Heaven – REVIEW

September 16 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

September 16 – @bibliophile_foodie – REVIEW

September 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

September 17 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – AUTHOR GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY

September 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

September 18 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

September 19 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – SPOTLIGHT

September 19 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

September 20 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

September 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW & AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Free Ebooks Mysteries and More

Welcome to September! Along with the new month come these fabulous offers for free e-books. Check them out and download some new titles to your TBR collection now!

Cozy Mysteries Freebies 

Download 70 cozy mysteries for FREE, including my series starter, Permed to Death. Limited time offer so go see what titles are available and Get Your Copies Now!

 

Free E-books Favorites for Nook 

Looking for a fun, new mystery series to read? My series starter, Permed to Death, is FREE on Nook along with 40+ other favorite e-book titles. Download Now! 

 

 

Booklovers Bench Monthly Giveaway

Enter Here to win two free books from Booklovers Bench in our monthly giveaway.

 

Watch for my upcoming Virtual Book Tour to celebrate the Sept. 9 release of Murder Pays a Call!

 

 

Email Scams for Writers to Avoid

Scam emails are becoming more creative these days. They try to suck you in, hoping you’ll click on a link or send a response. Then they can extort money from you or install malware on your device. You have to be very careful to check all references independently and look for red flags such as misspellings, invalid websites, poor grammar, requests for fees or shipping costs, and offers that appear too good to be true. Here are a few examples of emails I’ve received.

Photo by Resume Genius on Unsplash

 

FREE MONEY

Hello Friend,

My name is [insert name], a lawyer and solicitor by profession here in Lome, Togo.

I am writing to you on behalf of my client, a nationality of your country who lived here in Lome, Republic of Togo in West-Africa when he was alive. My client died some years back, he left the sum of U.S. $8.5 Million in one of the banks here in Togo, West-Africa, unfortunately he did not leave any WILL nor address of any of his relatives, and the WILL have an open beneficiary.

I would like to present you as his relative, so you can inherit the money he left behind.

Reply me if you are interested in the inheritance money.

<><><>

Who would fall for this poor grammar, insane offer, and foreign locale? Nothing is free, certainly not huge sums of money!

If you’re this gullible, maybe I can sell you a valuable piece of Florida swampland.

BOOK PROMO OFFER                

This is one of the better targeted emails. It came via my website and is signed by a person with an alleged title and a gmail address only. The temptation is that the suggestions are good ones. Note that my box set is not in KU and is available wide.

Hi Nancy,

I recently reviewed The Bad Hair Day Mysteries Box Set Volume Six, and I admire how well you’ve maintained charm and freshness across such a long-running series. Stories like Star Tangled Murder show your ability to balance traditional cozy elements with clever twists, and the reader recognition (awards, press blurbs, and box set structure) reflects the strength of your work.

That said, I also noticed several strategic opportunities that could boost the discoverability of the box sets, especially among:

New readers looking to binge a cozy series from the start

Subscribers browsing through Kindle Unlimited looking for bundled value

Fans of award-winning cozy authors who aren’t yet in your orbit

Right now, the set isn’t fully optimized on Amazon for series binge readers (the kind who search phrases like “best cozy box sets” or “Florida cozy mystery bundles”). And with the critical acclaim you’ve earned, there’s an opportunity to better leverage that trust factor, not just with metadata, but with your positioning and language in ways that align with your brand voice.

This is exactly what I help authors with: using the work you’ve already published to increase traction, without burning out or changing your writing approach.

Would you be open to a short visibility breakdown specific to this series (free, no obligations)? Just practical ways to help the right readers find what you’ve already built.

<><><>

This is tempting because it mentions specific works and actual suggestions that would improve my visibility. The red flags are that my books are not in KU, and there’s no website or other info listed in the signature line. It’s clearly spam, and they’re hoping naïve authors will follow through. Even if you get a cold offer that seems legit, carefully check the references and don’t click on any links until you’ve verified the sender. And again, if it’s too good to be true, likely it is a scam.

FLATTERY WILL GET YOU NOWHERE

Hi Nancy,

Congratulations on your incredible legacy, from Permed to Death to Trimmed to Death, each title speaks volumes of your brilliance. Your dedication to the cozy mystery genre and the awards your books continue to earn truly reflect a voice readers crave.

I’ve spent 6+ years helping authors grow from quiet shelves to chart-topping visibility. I was with a leading publishing service before building a tighter, premium-focused team committed to helping talented writers like you expand without compromise.

I reached out because your stories still hold massive potential to reach new readers, gain fresh reviews, and rise above market noise with lasting impact. Our campaigns follow strategic timelines with flexible investment tiers, and we’ve taken authors from debut to millions in sales, with connections to show for it.

How has your journey evolved since your last release, and what direction do you dream of heading next?

Signed, another scammer with a gmail address

<><><>

I’ll bet you have experienced some of these. Do you auto delete or check them out?

Resources  

https://writerbeware.blog/2025/08/01/return-of-the-nigerian-prince-a-new-twist-on-book-marketing-scams/

https://terryambrose.com/category/scams/

 

Audiobook Auditions

Audiobook production has its challenges for indie publishers, but it can also be a fun and rewarding experience. Using the platform at ACX makes things easier. Owned by Amazon, this site makes it simple to produce your own audiobook. After you claim your title, upload your book details, add a sample script and an author pitch, you can open your project for auditions. You get to choose the gender and the tone of voice you’d like for your work. I wanted my person to be engaging and yet somewhat authoritative.

You’ll get an email from ACX each time an audition posts. Listen carefully to the person’s voice and how it engages with you, and to the pacing, pronunciation, and emotional connection. I prefer a performance over a reading. There’s a difference. You can tell if a person is just reading the text or if they’re doing their best to make it sound interesting and appealing.

I’d been wanting to get my instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery, into audio format for a while but couldn’t fit it into my schedule. Finally, I had a window of time available. I posted my book at ACX, and within a day had more than twenty auditions. Feeling overwhelmed at having to listen to each of these recordings, I closed the project to further auditions. This was a mistake, which I learned later.

I listened to each audition, which ran from 3 minutes to 7 minutes, depending on how much of my sample script each person read. Some narrators could be eliminated right away if their voice sounded hesitant, dropped off at the end of a sentence, was too raspy or didn’t have much inflection. What I looked for was an engaging female voice from a performer that captivated my interest especially for the narration. Narrators with voiceover, radio or podcast experience were other factors I considered.

I marked ten auditions as Favorites. Then I further narrowed these down to three choices. Here I looked at each profile, the narrator’s website, and their price range. Some were $100-$200 PFH (per finished hour) and others were $200-$400. This is when you pay up front for the entire cost and own all the rights, as opposed to royalty share, where you pay nothing up front but split royalites with the narrator for a term of seven years. With the PFH option I selected, you also get to choose a higher royalty rate for exclusivity or a lower rate for non-exclusivity, if you want to do wide distribution.

I chose the best narrator for my project and communicated with her through ACX’s messaging system. I said I wanted to make an offer, would she accept my price, and the time frame she needed to complete the project.

Then I went to make the formal offer on ACX and hit a wall. The page wouldn’t respond. After numerous attempts, I contacted ACX support. They said I cannot make an offer while auditions are closed. I had to reopen the project to accept auditions. Going back to my book’s page, I hit the proper button which sent the project into review. After another email exchange with support, the book reopened for auditions, and I was able to send my narrator an official offer.

This whole process took three days. I gave the narrator a week to turn in the first 15-minute segment for approval. This is now done, and we’re on our way to completing the audiobook.

Are you an audiobook listener? If so, where do you obtain your supply?

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win two free books from Booklovers Bench in our monthly giveaway.