Born and raised in Surrey, England, Cynthia Sally Haggard has lived in the United States for thirty years. She is the author of the Thwarted Queen series, which includes The Bride Price, One Seed Sown, The Gilded Cage, Two Murders Reaped and Rose of Raby. She has had four careers: violinist, cognitive scientist, medical writer and novelist. Yes, she is related to H. Rider Haggard, the author of SHE and KING SOLOMONS’S MINES. (H. Rider Haggard was a younger brother of the author’s great-grandfather.) Cynthia Sally Haggard is a member of the Historical Novel Society. You can visit her at: http://spunstories.com/, https://twitter.com/ – !/cynthiahaggard, and http://www.facebook.com/cynthia.haggard.

Welcome to Book Marketing Buzz, Cynthia. Can we begin by having you tell us a little about your book?

Thwarted Queen is a saga of the Yorks, Lancasters and Nevilles, whose family feud started the Wars of the Roses. Told by Lady Cecylee Neville (1415-1495), the thwarted queen.

What is the first thing you did to promote your book once your publisher accepted your manuscript?

Gosh, I’ve done so many things it’s hard to remember. I think the first thing I did was to do Facebook ads.

If you had to pick just one book marketing tool that you’ve used to promote your book, which would you say has been the most effective?

To date, doing giveaways on Goodreads has been the most effective. My book went from having zero interest to having hundreds of people joining the giveaway.

Do you do more promoting online or offline and which do you prefer?

I have done most of my promoting online so far. But I actually enjoy publich speaking and doing public readings, and would love to have more opportunities to talk about Cecylee offline.

Do you use social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to promote your books and have you had any success with it?

Yes, I have used social networking. With Facebook, my impression is that only people who are already your fans get your posts. So, from that point of view it is not so good at reaching new audiences. Twitter, however, is another story, because most of the publishing industry is on it. I have worked very hard to get followers on Twitter, and currently I think I have about 1300 people following me.

Do you own a blog and how often do you update it?  Did you set up your blog solely to promote your book and what is its effectiveness?

My blog and my website are one. You can find them at http://www.spunstories.com. I usually post at least twice a week. Mondays, I give advice on marketing and publishing. Wednesdays, I do craft book reviews, in which I try to understand from a writer’s perspective what worked (or didn’t work) in the novel I’m currently reading. On that scaffolding, I promote my novel as well, but try to limit my posts to when I actually have an annoucment to make. Last month was very busy as I had nine giveaways on Goodreads.

Do you recommend authors getting publicists to help them promote their books?  Do you have one?

I don’t have a publicist. I think this is a very personal questions, because it depends on how much money you have and how much time you have to market a book. If you can find a good publicist and can afford the cost, then I say go for it! I don’t have that kind of money, so I’ve given myself the whole of this year to become an effective marketer. I’m having to learn by trial and error.

If an author prefers to do it alone rather than hire a publicist, where should they  start?

You should start by telling all of your friends and family about your book, and asking them to spread the word. Then you systematically need to figure out which marketing strategy works best. And I would say beware of marketing plans that cost thousands and thousands of dollars, because it’s hard to earn that money back. I enjoy blog tours because they’re a very affordable way of reaching out to new audiences.

Thank you for coming, Cynthia!  We wish you much success!

Thank you for having me. I enjoyed talking with you!

I started writing when I was nine-years-old. I used to write short stories on my dad’s notepads. One day he read one and he said to me, “You are a writer.” It stuck. My dad is still my biggest supporter and he is also my mentor in many ways. I went to college at The University of Southern California. My parents though didn’t think that “creative writing” at USC was a major that would likely be lucrative in the long run, so I figured I would be logical and look at writing in the journalistic field. God (the Universe), etc. had a different plan for me. Soon after I graduated from USC I gave birth to my first son. He was six weeks premature and he had some health issues, which caused me to decide that going into a career at that time would not benefit my son. So, I stayed home with him and I wrote my first book. That first book is tucked away in a box somewhere because it’s pretty darn bad, but it gave me the confidence I needed to know that I could start, write, and finish a book. From that point on, it took me twelve years to become a published author and several manuscripts. It has been a wonderful and amazing process, and although many challenges have presented themselves along the way, I have never quit writing. It is my passion!

My other passion is Horses. These amazing animals are very dear to my heart and I have been known to take in “strays.” My daughter and I are very active in the horse world. My daughter is involved in pony club and three day eventing.

I enjoy work with other writers when I can , especially kids. I designed a program for young writers to help them learn how to write short stories and picture books to writing complete novellas for older kids. I have mentored several students now and it’s a joyful experience to see young writers and their creative minds at work. It is something I am working on expanding with some local teachers in my area.

Family and friends are extremely important to me. I am the proud mother of three amazing kids who have always supported me and are just great, awesome human beings (yes, I know I sound like every mother in the world about their kids, but I really mean it). My husband is my best friend and a very patient man, which is a real positive—he is married to a writer after all. We also have three dogs, a kitty, and eight horses.

When not writing, riding, or being a taxi-cab driver for my youngest, I try to find time to do a little yoga, meditate or cooking. I love cookbooks and cooking!

A.K.’s recent release is Daddy’s Home.

You can visit her website at www.michelescott.com/books/ak-alexander.

Welcome to Book Marketing Buzz, A.K. Alexander (Michele Scott).  Can we begin by having you tell us a little about your book?

The book is about a killer who is seeking his “perfect family,” by stalking single moms and their kids. When things don’t work out so perfectly he kills them. Holly Jennings is the investigator on the case and being a single mom herself the case becomes personal. She is also working on her own inner demons as she finds herself determined to catch the bastard.

What is the first thing you did to promote your book once your publisher accepted your manuscript?

I was traditionally published by one of the big 6 for several years. I now do everything myself, which has worked out very well. The first thing I do to promote any book is send out my newsletter to my readers. Once they are engaged, they tend to spread the word.

After that, what happened?

I have a list of things that I do with each book and I am not sure what works the best, but I do them all and the combination seems to be the key. I create a book trailer, I blog, I social network, I do virtual blog tours, and I work with other authors to cross-promote. The most important thing I have found is having a relationship with the reader. I answer e-mail I receive and I am truly interested in that person. I tend to cultivate friendships with my readers and have ongoing dialogue with them. The readers are truly what makes the writing so great to do.

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

Back in the day when I was traditionally published, I still did all of the marketing myself. Unless you are one of the stars in the publishing house you can’t expect a lot from them. I did get some book marks few times.

What’s your opinion on blogging?  Do you see that it is helping sell your book or is it not making much difference in terms of sales?

I blog when I have something I think may matter to the readers. I think blogging creates a loyalty from readers. I don’t know if it sells books all that much but it does allow the communication between the readers and yourself. It is those readers that then turn around and tweet, etc about your books. It’s word of mouth multiplied by the masses.

I understand using the social networks to promote your books is also an effective marketing tool.  Do you find it is or isn’t?

I think it is very effective but you can’t always be shoving books in people’s faces. You have to also be open and willing to share bits and pieces of your life.

Besides blogging and using the social networks to promote your books, what other ways are you promoting your book?

Book trailers, advanced reads go out, Bookrooster.com, BookDaily.com, Pump Up Your Book tours, and working together with a network of other authors.

If you had to pick just one book marketing tool that you’ve used to promote your book, which would you say has been the most effective?

Write a great book, then put it out there. I can’t choose one thing. I really can’t. It is a culmination of things and it is a lot of hard work. However, I do think a great website is still your primary marketing piece. The other would be excellent covers!

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

Booksignings have never been huge for me. I have done some promotional contests, and release parties and they tend to generate some sales, but not tons.

Thank you for this interview, A.K. Alexander!  We wish you much success!

Thank You!

Valerie Stocking was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and wrote her first short story when she was five.  When she was eight, she won a short story contest in Jack and Jill Magazine.  She wrote her first play at the age of ten.  In 1966, when she was twelve, she and her mother moved to a small town in Florida where they lived for a year.  During this time, Valerie experienced difficulties with the public school system, tried a Seventh Day Adventist school briefly, and then dropped out altogether.  It was her experiences during this year that inspired The Promised Land. Later, she would finish high school, graduate from college and earn a Master’s degree in Cinema Studies from NYU.

For nearly 30 years, she wrote and edited in various capacities, including copywriting, newspaper articles, and short stories.  She wrote nearly 20 full-length and one act plays over a ten year period, which have been performed throughout the U.S. and Canada.  She edited books for audio, abridging over 100 novels in a 6-year period.  In 2010, she published her first novel, A Touch of Murder, which is the first of what will become the Samantha Kern mystery series.  It was nominated for a Global eBook Award in 2011 for Best Mystery.

Valerie lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her dog and cat, and is working on her next novel.

You can visit her website at www.valeriestocking.com.

Welcome to Book Marketing Buzz, Valerie.  Can we begin by having you tell us a little about your book?

Sure!  The Promised Land is about a 12-year-old girl’s coming of age in a small southern town in 1966.  She and her mother have just moved there from a Connecticut suburb, and of course it’s culture shock.  The girl befriends a biracial boy with explosive consequences.  The book also deals with the inadequacies of the public education system, and adolescent drinking and drug use.

What is the first thing you did to promote your book once your publisher accepted your manuscript?

I made a list of all the people I wanted to send advance copies to.  I also contacted Dorothy Thompson of Pump Up Your Book to query about a blog tour.

After that, what happened?

Once the book came out, I sent the copies to the people on my list.  And I contacted Dorothy right away.

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

They developed and sent out a press release.  They also made a large number of promotional bookmarks for me.

What’s your opinion on blogging?  Do you see that it is helping sell your book or is it not making much difference in terms of sales?

I’ve been blogging on a regular basis (twice a week) since last November.  It really isn’t enough time to have developed a large enough audience to say whether or not it has helped book sales.  I have been looking at the numbers, tracking the people who are reading, and it’s still a small audience, but it seems to be growing.  On Mondays, I do a potpourri of subjects: I talk about my writing, about the 1960’s (a connection with The Promised Land), and paranormal activity.  It seems that most people enjoy the paranormal stuff more than the other things.  I am going to be writing a paranormal thriller soon (I hope!) so I’m doing and writing about research in that area.  On Thursdays, I have a serialized mystery going, called “Color Me Dead.”  It’s a Samantha Kern mystery (she’s the detective in my first novel “A Touch of Murder”).

From what I understand, it can take several years to build a blog, in terms of audience.  So I am going to keep writing, and be patient.

I understand using the social networks to promote your books is also an effective marketing tool.  Do you find it is or isn’t?

I have become active on Facebook and Twitter since November, talking about my blogs and my progress with The Promised Land. It’s a great way to get the message out to a lot of people.  I am on LinkedIn, but don’t do much there.  I’ve been adding friends to FB a lot, though.  And I’m getting positive responses.

Besides blogging and using the social networks to promote your books, what other ways are you promoting your book?

I’ve sent out review copies to a number of people, including a woman who interviewed me before on a radio station in the Four Corners (NW) area of New Mexico.  She told me to send anything else I wrote to her, and said she’d like to interview me again.  In addition, an interview I did for the local NBC affiliate here just aired yesterday.  It will be available for general viewing on my website soon.  I’ve done 2 open mic readings, and a book signing here in Santa Fe.  The big reading/signing here is going to happen April 19, at Collected Works bookstore.  I’m going to be putting out flyers for that, and also contacting a local radio station about interviewing me.  So I’ve been busy!

If you had to pick just one book marketing tool that you’ve used to promote your book, which would you say has been the most effective?

Facebook.  I can get the message out to a lot of people, numerous times, and it doesn’t cost anything.  Twitter’s good, too, but I find the length limitations frustrating at times.

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

I love book signings!  I enjoy talking to people, despite the fact that I’m very nervous right beforehand.  However, before a person will come to a book signing, they have to know about it.  So advertising it is key.  It’s not going to sell mass quantities of a book, but it adds a personal touch that I like.

Thank you for this interview, Valerie!  We wish you much success!

Thank you!

Gordon Gumpertz brings fiction readers another exciting action/adventure experience in his new novel RED HOT SKY. This is the author’s second book, following his highly acclaimed novel TSUNAMI.

In addition to writing novels, Gordon has won gold and silver awards in national and regional short story competitions. He is a member of the Authors Guild, the Palm Springs Writers Guild, a UCLA graduate, and an instrument-rated private pilot. He keeps his website current by blogging on natural disasters and natural phenomena.

Gordon and his wife Jenny live not far from the San Andreas fault, where the Pacific Plate thrusts into the North American Plate, building increasingly high levels of faultline stress which, the seismologists say, may soon produce the Big One.

Visit his website at www.tsunaminaturaldisaster.com.

Website | Amazon | Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

About Red Hot Sky

CO2 buildup in earth’s atmosphere reaches a tipping point. Global weather destabilizes, turns chaotic. Ice storms, dust storms, floods, blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes pummel the earth nonstop. A secret computer model reveals that the frantic weather will peak out, and transform world climate into an alien environment devastating to human survival.

Scientists Ben Mason, Claudine Manet, and Bertrand Short are developers of the computer model. Ben and Claudine are lovers as well as lab partners. While they work frantically to head off the approaching catastrophe, a disgraced Russian general hacks into their model and sees earth’s bleak future as his opportunity for ultimate world power.

Ben, who had left the CIA to develop the computer model at the national lab,  is reactivated by the Agency and sent on a perilous mission to block the rogue general’s plot. Claudine, not realizing that Ben is on a secret mission, misunderstands his absence, putting their relationship on thin ice.

Claudine is placed in charge of a massive NASA project that, if completed on time, could stop the approaching doomsday climate change. But her project is stalled by bureaucracy. Ben is on the run in hostile territory. The climate change calamity steadily approaches.

Welcome to Book Marketing Buzz, Gordon.  Can we begin by having you tell us a little about your book?

Red Hot Sky is a story about what happens when CO2 buildup in earth’s atmosphere reaches a tipping point. In this scenario, global weather destabilizes, turns chaotic. Ice storms, dust storms, floods, blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes pummel the earth nonstop. A secret computer model reveals that the frantic weather will peak out, and transform world climate into an alien environment devastating to human survival.

Scientists Ben Mason and Claudine Manet, developers of the computer model, are lovers as well as lab partners. While they work frantically to head off the approaching catastrophe, a disgraced Russian general hacks into their model and sees earth’s bleak future as his opportunity for ultimate world power.

Ben, who had left the CIA to develop the computer model at the national lab,  is reactivated by the Agency and sent on a perilous mission to block the rogue general’s plot. Claudine is placed in charge of a massive NASA project that, if completed on time, could stop the approaching doomsday climate change. But her project is stalled by bureaucracy. Ben, his cover blown, is on the run in hostile territory. The climate change calamity steadily approaches.

What is the first thing you did to promote your book once your publisher accepted your manuscript?

I published Red Hot Sky with CreateSpace. My first promotional step was to feature the new book on my website, www.tsunaminaturaldisaster.com.

After that, what happened?

My next step was to contact Dorothy Thompson at Pump Up Your Book. We agreed on a two-month informational campaign to help increase traffic to my website.

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

Took the two steps above.

What’s your opinion on blogging?  Do you see that it is helping sell your book or is it not making much difference in terms of sales?

I’m a blogging believer. Most of my sales come from my website where I blog on natural disasters and natural phenomena. Red Hot Sky and my first novel, Tsunami, are both featured in a separate panel, along with excerpts, reviews, and information about the books and the author.

I understand using the social networks to promote your books is also an effective marketing tool.  Do you find it is or isn’t?

I’m just learning how to promote using Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube. I have high hopes, but too early to tell.

Besides blogging and using the social networks to promote your books, what other ways are you promoting your book?

I’m using Pump Up Your Book to help increase awareness and demand.

If you had to pick just one book marketing tool that you’ve used to promote your book, which would you say has been the most effective?

My website.

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

In promoting my first book, Tsunami, I found giving talks as the featured speaker at clubs and organizations to be the most effective way to sell books. Sitting at a desk at a regular book signing is not very effective for the hours invested.

Thank you for this interview, Gordon!  We wish you much success!

Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

Farsighted is her latest book.

Visit her at Facebook at www.facebook.com/emlynchand and Twitter at www.twitter.com/emlynchand!

About Farsighted

Alex Kosmitoras’s life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead-broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he’s blind. Just when he thinks he’ll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to “see” the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they begin to suggest that Simmi is in danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and new friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex must embark on a journey to change his future.

What is the first thing you did to promote your book once your publisher accepted your manuscript?

I knew very early in the writing process that I planned to self-publish. When I signed with my agent for my first (unpublished) novel, a condition of our contract was that I be allowed to go indie with the Farsighted series. I actually wrote a blog post explaining my decision (that’s here). Basically, the publishing industry is not only changing – it’s changed. I’m not really sure there is any benefit to being traditionally published anymore, especially if you’re an author who has the know-how and financial/time resources to A) professionally edit your books, B) get a stellar cover designed, and C) market your work. Another reason I’m all gaga for the self-pub world is because it’s what I preach through Novel Publicity. I spend all day trying to convince writers that the indie path can work for them. By choosing that route for myself, I am showing my belief in that statement; I am practicing what I preach to gain invaluable hands-on experience. If this works out for me; I’m pretty sure I’ll stay indie forever!

To answer your question more precisely, I started gearing up for promotion almost as soon as I started writing by building-up my social media platform. We also began production on my live action book trailer before the book was even half-written. Ditto on cover design. It’s never too early to start promoting!

After that, what happened?

After that, I continued to work on promotional techniques and prep for the long and arduous road of indie publishing. A road that also has an enjoyable scenic view when it’s not storming

What did your publisher do to promote your book?

Since I am indie, I am the author, publisher, and publicist. I did hire an outside editor and cover designer, but the rest has all fallen to me.

Besides blogging and using the social networks to promote your books, what other ways are you promoting your book?

Oh, man. Marketing Farsighted has been a full-time job on top of a full-time job. I’ve definitely devoted more man power into my campaign, because I have no limits. I’ve spent an enormous amount of time and energy recruiting bloggers for my launch. I’ve also hired 6 other blog tour companies (including Pump up Your Books, yay!) to tour my book over the next couple months—getting buzz early on is crucial. I’ve had a good amount of luck with GoodReads pay-per-click advertising and giveaways too (something I plan to blog in depth later for Novel Publicity).

What’s your opinion on blogging?  Do you see that it is helping sell your book or is it not making much difference in terms of sales?

Blogging is wonderful. Why would any writer choose not to blog? My business, Novel Publicity, has grown like it has because of our Free Advice Blog. We now get over 800 hits on an average day and have become a trusted source for social media book marketing advice. Since people trust us, they’re more likely to inquire in our service offerings. And business has been going great!

I cannot report the same blissful findings for my author blog, but I do get a few sales as part of my efforts. I’m sure of it. I plan to invest much more time in this site after the new year and will even be starting a vlog—video blog—to connect more personally with my readers, er, viewers.

I understand using the social networks to promote your books is also an effective marketing tool.  Do you find it is or isn’t?

Of course, it is. The wonderful thing about social media is that it can turn strangers from the other side of the world into best friends. These networking tools are also great ways to scout out and connect with your exact target audience. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard finding readers was in the days before the internet. Nor do I remember the days before the internet

If you had to pick just one book marketing tool that you’ve used to promote your book, which would you say has been the most effective?

Ahw, man! That’s like asking: “If you could only keep one of your bodily organs, which would it be?” I mean, all the marketing tools work together. They support one another and complete the entire organism. In this analogy, the so-called heart of marketing would be the reviewers. Get people talking about your book. Get people reading it. That is the best thing you can do for your little fledgling.

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

I haven’t done any offline promotion yet, other than sending out Farsighted-themed postcards via my website to anyone who requests them. I’ve also done a fair bit of internet radio. Once this hectic holiday season has passed, I plan on doing readings in libraries and book stores. I also have a speaking engagement booked with a middle school that I’m really looking forward to.

Thank you for this interview, Emlyn!  We wish you much success!

FARSIGHTED, by Emlyn Chand, Blue Crown Press, 226 pp., Kindle 99 cents.

Alex Kosmitoras’s life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead-broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he’s blind. Just when he thinks he’ll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to “see” the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they begin to suggest that Simmi is in danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and new friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex must embark on a journey to change his future.

Book Excerpt

Our hero is about to embark on a journey. Life as he knows it is quiet, boring, and predictable, but it’s also comforting and familiar. That will soon change.

Today is the last day of summer, but I’m not doing anything even remotely close to fun. I’m just lying here in Mom’s garden, running my hands over the spiky blades of grass—back and forth, back and forth until my fingertips go numb. Until everything goes numb. I sigh, but no one’s around to hear.

“Alex,” Dad yells from the kitchen window. “Dinner.”

Already? How long have I been out here? I spring up from the ground and the grass springs up with me, one blade at a time – boing, boink, boint. The sounds wouldbe imperceptible to any normal person, but they roar inside my ears. I picture an army of earthworms raising the blades as spears in their turf wars and smile to myself.

Dad opens the back door and calls out to me again. “C’mon, Alex. What’s taking you so long?”

Grabbing my cane, I shuffle over to the house, brushing past himas I squeeze inside. The kitchen reeks of fast food restaurants and movie theaters—butter and grease.That means it’sbreakfast for dinner. We do this every Sunday night, because Mom goes out to garden club and Dad doesn’t know how to cook anything else. Plus it’s cheap.

Breathing heavily, Dad plunks some food onto both our plates and collapses into his chair. He groans and asks me to pass the butter, or rather the “bud-dah.” He grew up in Boston and every once in a while the accent works itself into his speech.

I slide the tub to dad; he reaches out and stops it before it can glide clear off the table.

“What’s this?” Dad asks.

“Uh, the butter.Obviously.”

Dad’s voice raises an octave. “I know it’s the butter, so don’t get smart. Why’d you give it to me?”

“Uh, because you asked me to.”

“No, I didn’t.” He exhales as if the wind has been knocked out of him by an ill-timed punch to the stomach. “Guess you must’ve read my mind.” He chuckles to himselfand slides the cool metal knife into the butter and scrapes it across his toast.

Dad and I don’t usually talk to each other unless Mom is around, asking about our days, chatting on, working hard to create those warm and fuzzy family moments we don’t seem to create naturally. And even though Mom has reassured me a million times, I know that Dad resents me for being born blind.

I can tell he would have much rather had a son like Brady—the same guy who insists on making my high school experience as difficult as possible.Nothing’s worse than knowing that your own father thinks you’re a loser.

A DEATH FOR BEAUTY, by Alberto Rios Arias, Freedom River Books, Kindle Edition, $7.95.

Set during the Civil War, a troubled young woman struggles with her conscience after the suspicious death of her unfaithful husband. When her dreams of a new life seem hopeful, she ventures across the western plains with her sickly daughter in tow and an unscrupulous businessman who promises her a pot of gold. But the seeds of this dangerous venture—sown in blood—yield the unexpected and what she encounters along the fringes of the Oregon Trail in the dark corners of the prairies, will change her life forever.

BOOK EXCERPT:

THE SOUND RUMBLED THROUGH the air like a stampede of wild horses, warning what was yet to come. The winds echoed like an open wound—a wound so deep that only death could heal it.

She could feel the storm approaching from the east, the rising heat, the smell of rain. She saw the natural order of things gathering. Death comes like salvation, unexpectedly. But her life was slow and deliberate. A life bound by swirling untruths—dark, unanswered prayers.

Virginia Mae Mercy always dreamed of starting over somewhere else. Now that her husband died, everything else stood still too, and if she needed a little push to get on with her life, that’s when the whirlwinds seemed imbued with divine purpose.

She tried to lock down the storm shelter, but within seconds, she lay in a cornfield searching for her little girl. The storm tore off the shelter doors, snatching her and the girl in a flash. They landed acres away but somehow survived, almost falling together, bruised and hallucinating.

Two signs from above were enough.

Last month, the first sign had come in the unlikely form of a telegram. She felt it coming. Confederate soldiers killed her husband in battle, or so they thought. That shocker was still under investigation, and the disorienting malaise from this recent storm, was finally beginning to fade.

Virginia never understood life’s storms. Not hers. But if there was one defining moment in her mind that crystallized and spoke to her sensibilities, this was it. She wished she could understand eternal matters too, a lifetime of prayers that until recently had gone unanswered.

Yet it was the earthly things that often made her breathe a little heavier, made her heart beat a little faster. In reflection, she feared the sudden horror of dying alone, her childhood premonitions about a fragile life in Geneva, Kansas. How dangerous life really was.

– Excerpt from A Death for Beauty by Alberto Rios Arias.  Visit the author’s website at www.adeathforbeauty.com.

THE PUB ACROSS THE POND, by Mary Carter, Kensington, 336 pp., $10.95.

“Sometimes leaving home is the only way to find where you belong….”

Carlene Rivers is many things. Dutiful, reliable, kind. Lucky? Not so much. At thirty, she’s living a stifling existence in Cleveland, Ohio. Then one day, Carlene buys a raffle ticket. The prize: a pub on the west coast of Ireland. Carlene is stunned when she wins. Everyone else is stunned when she actually goes.

As soon as she arrives in Ballybeog, Carlene is smitten, not just by the town’s beguiling mix of ancient and modern but by the welcome she receives. In this small town near Galway Bay, strife is no stranger, strangers are family, and no one is ever too busy for a cup of tea or a pint. And though her new job presents challenges–from a meddling neighbor to the pub’s colorful regulars–there are compensations galore. Like the freedom to sing, joke, and tell stories and, in doing so, find her own voice. And in her flirtation with Ronan McBride, the pub’s charming, reckless former owner, she just may find the freedom to follow where impulse leads and trust her heart–and her luck–for the very first time.

BOOK EXCERPT:

Prologue
Declan
The Greatest Love Story Ever told in Ballybeog

It was the greatest love story ever told in Ballybeog when everyone was drunk, but nobody wanted to go home, and all other great love stories had been told.

Name’s Declan, but I’ll answer to most anything as long as yer thirsty and polite, and in that order. Ah, say nothin’ until you hear more. I’ve been a publican at Uncle Jimmy’s going on twenty years now. Most days it’s good ole craic, but sometimes when you’re a publican, you’ve gotta be a bags. I wasn’t sure Carlene Rivers, the Yankee Doodle Dandee who won the pub, had that in her. She had sweet written all over her, and I hate to say it, but girls like that always seem to attract the wrong kind of lads. I’ve seen many a sweet lass get the guy of their dreams, only to watch them turn into their worst nightmares. Over time their men belly up to the bar more than they do the bedroom. Because the Irishmen who “do”, usually don’t hang around here. And Ronan McBride was no exception.

Nobody thought the lad would ever settle down. There are three kinds of Irish men. Those who do, those who don’t, and those who say they might but probably won’t. Ronan McBride was the latter. He was thirty-three years of age but still hadn’t worked out his boyish ways. I don’t know why nature makes those marriage-phobic-men so alluring to the women, a course, no one would disagree that he was the best looking man in the family, and I’m not just saying that because he was the only man in the family. His father James McBride (or Uncle Jimmy as he was known around here), had passed, God rest his soul, leaving Ronan, his mother, and six sisters to run the McBride family pub. In heavenly retrospect, I bet James wishes he would’ve just left the pub to the girls; it would have been an insult to his only and eldest son all right, but as I said, sometimes when you’re a publican, you’ve gotta be a bags.

As the song goes, Ronan was a rambler and a gambler, although he was never a long way from home. I can’t tell you what it was that made the birds go absolutely mental over him, except he was over six feet and had all his hair. Let’s just say he had his pick of chickens in our little town, not to mention a hen or two who would’ve liked to sink their beaks into him.

But it was Carlene who got folks to whispering that maybe, just maybe, our terminal bachelor might mend his wayward ways. There was something in the air whenever those two were in the same room. A bit of a spark you might say, especially when they were arguing. Yep, things certainly hummed when they lit into each other, and for anyone watching it was great craic. Although we worried about Sally Collins, of course, she’d been absolutely lovesick over that boy her entire life. Still, it did me good to see that beautiful Yankee bird come into town and shake up his world, and my money was on her from the beginning.

But despite cheering the lass on, I understood Ronan’s terror. For some, there’s nothing more frightening than love, except maybe running out of ale. I was like him meself, one of the Irishman who don’t. And let me tell you, many are the nights when I’ve regretted it. Cold, long, rainy nights when I’m lying in bed and I close my eyes and some skirt that I chased when I was a younger lad comes skipping into my dream, all pretty, and bouncy, and smelling nice, only to start giving me shit for letting her go. Worse than the terrors, those dreams. I’ve known Ronan since he was a squaller, and I didn’t want him to make the same mistakes I did. I used to say, ‘What’s for you, won’t pass you’, but I know it’s a lie. I let them pass me. I always thought there’d be more time.

I’m in me seventies now, and it’s probably too late for me. I’m a scrawny looking thing with black wire glasses and I’ve a tuft of silver bird nest sitting on me head, but I’ve been told I still have a right nice smile, (even if they’re not all me original teeth), and believe it when I tell ye I got me share of tiddly-winks back in the day. I’m not much over 5’5 which I read in some touristy-type book is average for an Irishman. The average Irishman, according to this book, is 5’5, drinks four cups of tea a day, has 1.85 kids, and spends three euros a day on alcohol. I don’t know where the writer of these so-called facts was getting his information, but it sure t’wasn’t here, cuz some of our lads spend five euros an hour on the black stuff. That’s a pint of Guinness for you blow-ins.

To make a long story short, I’m just your average Joe Soap. I make up for it in other departments if you know what I mean. Ah, but this story isn’t about me or my regrets, so I hope you can put away all lurid thoughts of my national endowments. If you want to take that matter up on a one-to-one basis, and it goes without saying that you have to be a good-looking bird, then you can Facebook me. I didn’t join the fecking thing until the pub went up for raffle in America, but now that I’m on it, I reckon I might as well make the most of it. On that note, if anyone has an extra goat to give away, I’m on that farming game and I can’t seem to get a fecking goat no matter what I do, so send me one, so, if you please.
To make a long story short, we were a nice, quiet town until that fecking raffle went viral. That means a lot of people on the internet saw it. The tickets were sold in Irish festivals all over America, and they went for twenty-dollars apiece. Everyone and their mother wanted to win a pub in Ireland. And if Carlene’s mother looks anything like her daughter, I would’ve gone for a mother-daughter combo, but the Young Yank came on her own. And in the wink of an eye, our quiet little town weren’t so quiet n’more.

Situated on the West Coast of Ireland, we’re nestled on the edge of Galway Bay. We might be small, but we’re mighty. Close enough to Galway City we only need to follow the scent of heather and lager along the coast to lay our fingers on her thriving pulse, but tucked far enough away that until that fecking raffle, we didn’t get too many blow-ins.

We’ll call our little village, Ballybeog, or in Irish, Baile Béag, which means “Little Center”. I picked it because it sounds pleasant and Irish-y and because nobody in their right minds wants me to use its real name. Not out of shame, mind you, but for fear of being over-run by Americans like what happened in Dingle when the dolphin showed up. Nothing can ruin a sweet little village faster than a gaggle of Americans tracking down their “Irish roots” with their iPhones and dodgy laminated diagrams of supposed family trees.

Regardless, everyone will be treated as if they’re welcome at the McBride family pub. This is the place to be. Drink away your troubles, catch up with the locals, watch a horse race, listen to traditional Irish music, play a game of pool, or darts, or cards, and see how much better life treats ye after a nice pint. Or two. Or twelve. Nobody keeps count except the Americans. Right now the place is jammers. We’re waiting on a bride. So let me tend to my other customers now, but doncha worry. I’ll check back to see how you’re doing, or freshen your pint. And if you get half a mind to be neighborly, don’t forget to send me a fecking goat.

– Excerpt from The Pub Across the Pond by Mary Carter.  Visit the author’s website at www.marycarterbooks.com.

John Banks was born in Asheville, NC.  His storytelling is very much in the Southern tradition, with a special affinity for humorists such as Mark Twain and the Old Southwest school of writers.  Though entirely imaginary, much of the material in Glorify Each Day must have come from his many years as a teacher in the public schools and community colleges of his native state and from the three years he spent as an a community college administrator.

Visit his website at www.819publishing.com or his Facebook Fan Page here.

Welcome to Book Marketing Buzz, John.  Can we begin by having you tell us a little about your book?

In the broadest sense, it’s a novel about man’s capacity for violence – his tendency to lash out and hurt those people he loves the most and the effects his violence has on his own development as a person and on the people around him.  Specifically, I had an image in my head of two young boys, best friends, who get into one of those fights that young boys are always getting into that are usually over with quickly and are just as quickly forgotten.  But what if one of those typical quarrels took a really violent turn, perhaps accidentally or perhaps not so accidentally?  How would that affect the young perpetrator throughout his life?  What type of person would he have to be in order to do  such a thing?  I thought those were very interesting questions.  But at the same time, I was also writing some humorous pieces that had nothing really to do with violence or man’s inhumanity to man, so I ended up creating this main character who incorporated everything I was writing about so that he was actually rather funny and charming but also had this very dark side to him.  On the whole, I think it worked out very well.

What is the first thing you did to promote your book?

To get it reviewed by as many people as possible.  It’s gotten good reviews, so I’m hopeful that that will translate into sales.

After that, what happened?

Well, I haven’t really been too active in promoting my book.  I’m not a very good salesman, unfortunately.  Literary-minded fiction can be a tough sell, especially for first-time authors, and unless I want to spend thousands of dollars on a publicist, which I don’t, it would require a lot of hard work on my part to push my book, and frankly, I would rather spend my time and energy being a writer and working on my next project rather than spend all the time that would be necessary to publicize this book to a great extent.

What else have you done to promote your book?

I enjoyed setting up a website for the book and doing these blog posts are a lot of fun.  As long as it’s something that I enjoy that doesn’t force me to neglect my next project, then I’m game for it.  The “Look Inside This Book” feature at Amazon is really neat.  It gives you a chance to read the first chapter of Glorify, and the people who have read the book have all said that the first chapter was really gripping and worked to draw them further into the book.

What’s your opinion on blogging?  Do you see that it is helping sell your book or is it not making much difference in terms of sales?

Well, that remains to be seen, doesn’t it?  I certainly see a great potential for blogging in terms of sales.  Anything that allows you to put your ideas before the public has to be a good thing, although I also see the beginnings of overkill, where you have so many outlets now for information there tends to be a dilution of everything.

I understand using the social networks to promote your books is also an effective marketing tool.  Do you find it is or isn’t?

Oh yeah, Facebook has been a great tool for me to get the word out.  Without a doubt.

If you had to pick just one book marketing tool that you’ve used to promote your book, which would you say has been the most effective?

Since my book has just been published, Facebook has been great at letting everyone I’m friends with learn more about the book.  Hopefully, as time moves on, the blogs and Amazon reviews will help expand my readership.

What are your experiences with offline promotions such as booksignings?

I haven’t done any book signings.  I think they might be more effective for me if the book can generate some online publicity.  The book is only being sold online, so that’s what my focus is on.

Thank you for this interview, John!  We wish you much success!

Join Mary Carter, author of the women’s fiction novel, The Pub Across the Pond (Kensington), as she virtually tours the blogosphere September 20 – November 11, 2011, on her second virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Mary Carter

MARY CARTER is a freelance writer and novelist. The Pub Across the Pond is her fifth novel with Kensington. Her other works include: My Sister’s Voice, Sunnyside Blues, She’ll Take It, and Accidentally Engaged. In addition to her novels she has written two novellas: A Very Maui Christmas in the best selling anthology Holiday Magic, and The Honeymoon House in the best selling anthology Almost Home. She is currently working on a new novel for Kensington.

Readers are welcome to visit her at www.marycarterbooks.com.

Visit her at Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Carter-Books/248226365259.

About The Pub Across the Pond

“Sometimes leaving home is the only way to find where you belong….”

Carlene Rivers is many things. Dutiful, reliable, kind. Lucky? Not so much. At thirty, she’s living a stifling existence in Cleveland, Ohio. Then one day, Carlene buys a raffle ticket. The prize: a pub on the west coast of Ireland. Carlene is stunned when she wins. Everyone else is stunned when she actually goes.

As soon as she arrives in Ballybeog, Carlene is smitten, not just by the town’s beguiling mix of ancient and modern but by the welcome she receives. In this small town near Galway Bay, strife is no stranger, strangers are family, and no one is ever too busy for a cup of tea or a pint. And though her new job presents challenges–from a meddling neighbor to the pub’s colorful regulars–there are compensations galore. Like the freedom to sing, joke, and tell stories and, in doing so, find her own voice. And in her flirtation with Ronan McBride, the pub’s charming, reckless former owner, she just may find the freedom to follow where impulse leads and trust her heart–and her luck–for the very first time.

Visit her official tour page here! If you would like to ask Mary a question, be sure to stop by Pump Up Your Book’s September Authors on Tour Chat/Book Giveaway starting at 8 p.m. eastern on Friday, September 30. She would love to meet you!

Pump Up Your Book is an innovative public relations agency specializing in online book publicity for authors looking for maximum online promotion to sell their books. Visit our website at www.pumpupyourbook.com to find out how we can take your book to the virtual level! Don’t forget to check out our December special!

Contact:

Dorothy Thompson, CEO/Founder Pump Up Your Book

Visit Pump Up Your Book at Twitter and Facebook