Today we’re celebrating a limited offer for Cross-Ties by Carolyn Bowen. This giveaway is for folks who don’t have access to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited where it’s always available for download.
Special Announcement!
You can download FREE during this giveaway and I can’t wait for you to read this historical romance tapping into the immigration experience of early frontier American founders.
We hope you’re staying safe during this global pandemic. Take care — Carolyn Bowen.
Quote of the Day: It’s splendid to be a great writer, to put men into the frying pan of your imagination and make them pop like chestnuts. Gustave Flaubert
We are getting closer to the countdown for the release of Chance – A Novel, book 2 in the Sydney Jones Series. The official release date is November 5th.
If you haven’t ordered your copy, do it now with an easy preorder link to Amazon. Stay tuned for some exciting giveaways happening during our birthday week. They’ll blow you away!
Chance (Book Description):
They took her lover. Getting him back could be the last thing she ever does…
High-powered Atlanta attorney Sydney Jones never backs down from a case. So when her bodyguard and boyfriend is accused of murder, she’s determined to fight for him in court. Instead, the charges are suddenly dismissed, and he vanishes without a trace…
Suspecting CIA involvement, Sydney takes on a lawsuit with Chinese Black Society ties and finds a startling connection to her missing man. But as she digs deeper, she discovers that someone may kill to keep the secret.
Will this dangerous cat-and-mouse game reveal the truth or put a bullet in Sydney’s head?
Chance is the second book in the Sydney Jones psychological thriller trilogy. If you like fearless heroines, page-turning action, and shocking twists, then you’ll love Carolyn Bowen’s gripping story.
Buy Chance to board a wild roller coaster ride today!
Quote of the Day: But you have to allow a little for the desire to evangelize when you think you have good news. Larry Wall
Photo Credit: Pixabay
I love good news. And, early this morning I received some great news. My latest thriller, Primed for Revenge, the 1st in the Sydney Jones Series has received a 5 Star review from Readers’ Favorite.
An author loves readers/reviewers who understand the emotional peaks and valleys of the storyline from beginning to end. And, this reviewer, Ruffina Oserio does. Thank you!
Reviewed By Ruffina Oserio for Readers’ Favorite
Primed For Revenge: Sydney Jones Novel Series by Carolyn M Bowen is a spellbinding psychological thriller with a rock-solid female protagonist: Sydney Jones works for Birdman & Birdman and at the time she is looking for bigger engagements in the firm, there is fallout with her boss. As if this wasn’t enough to rattle her nerves, she is abducted as she leaves the office. She is badly beaten and raped and sent home with warnings to never talk about the kidnapping. What is worse is that she has lost a great deal of her memory but she hasn’t forgotten her resolve for revenge.
This is an interesting story about a character who is deeply hurt and damaged and who must navigate a very dangerous landscape to determine who kidnapped and hurt her and why. Her biggest challenge is identifying the right people to talk to. The reader follows her, feeling her pain and seeing her struggle with her options. Primed For Revenge is a sophisticated, deftly written thriller with a protagonist that instantly captured my attention. The pathos is strong as the reader watches her go through the rough experience. Her inner transformation and the quest for revenge are so real, reflecting the abuse she has experienced. The writing is wonderful and Carolyn M Bowen comes across as a perfect wordsmith. Primed For Revenge: Sydney Jones Novel Series is very engaging, emotionally rich, and fast-paced. The kind of book you read in one sitting. A highly recommended read – 5 Stars
How To Order Your Copy!
Primed for Revenge is available online and at your favorite bookstores. Click here for more ordering options for an ebook or paperback. Thank you!
Sydney Jones Series Book 2 is in developmentand will be available online and in bookstores soon. I’m seeking advance mystery readers to provide feedback. Please let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll forward a PDF for your review.
Thanks for following my blog/newsletter. Hope to see you on social media (Twitter). Carolyn Bowen
Quote of the Day: “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” William James
As authors, we’re always looking for new ways to promote our books and I just got lucky. Let me introduce you to Theodocia McLean with Book Marketing Global Network and Avid Readers Global Network.
She’s smart and quick to present your book/s to catch reader’s attention. Here’s the link to my new authorpage. Check it out and if you’d like some marketing help, contact her so, you too will have more time for writing.
And there’s more…
McLean’scomprehensive marketing for authors includes social media platforms, Facebook groups, blogs, bookstores, and more. I find these services valuable and a much-needed breakthrough for authors. I’m tickled to be included and look forward to more authors joining me. Clickhere for testimonials!
Thanks for following my blog/newsletter. Hope you’re having a wonderful summertime! Carolyn
Quote of the Day: “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” – John F. Kennedy, 35th president of the United States of America
Photo Credit: Pixabay
The Writing Life
Writers are creative in placing words on the page one after another. The logical next step is publishing if you want your work to be read by the masses. This is when a writer become a publisher or an entrepreneur regardless of whether an indie writer or represented by a large publishing company. Today’s publishing world requires the author to have a huge stake in the promotion and sale of their books.
There are many aspects that play a role in the sale of a book. Here are a few of my thoughts about book production and promotions.
Great writing and production of work
Professional editing and formatting
Outstanding professional book cover
Marketing strategy – business plan
Book Pricing
Book World
A good portion of the books in today’s market are priced according to the competition. The scale hasn’t moved in years. However, the price for producing and marketing has skyrocketed. From advertising on major social platforms and search engines, websites, apps, books reviews, to the basics for creating your book and marketing. For example, keywords used for advertising are sometimes greater than the overall pricing of one book.
I’m reminded of the poem: The Charge of the Light Brigade by Lord Alfred Tennyson. The poem tells the story of six-hundred men who followed their leader to certain death. A clip with dialog from the poem as seen in the movie, Blindside is below.
What I’ve Learned
We can continue to follow the leader into a certain death of writing careers or make changes. Isn’t it about time pricing and selling books be measured by the costs to produce the product AND relative competition? How many businesses do you know would charge pennies for an item they’d spend several hundred/thousands of dollars to produce? The results would be a disaster and certain death for the business. There are lessons to be learned from The Charge of The Light Brigade. Treat your writing career as a business and use sound practices to measure your success.
Note: The e-book pricing suggested is created by a mathematical calculation, and research of comparable books in your genre. This is not an arbitrary number pulled out of the sky. Remember: Pricing is not set in stone; you can always change it as do most book marketers.
There’s fear involved in making any changes and I’m not immune. However, if you’re tired of feeding the beast, it’s time to make changes. Here are a few things I do to promote my books. Let me know what’s working for you.
Provide FREE copies for book reviewers/bloggers
Develop an advance readers group to be first reviewers
Offer FREE books through sweepstakes on major social platforms and through booksellers
Run ad campaign with reduced pricing/or FREE Days
To learn about my writing life, click here. I wish you tremendous success as you develop your creative business. Carolyn Bowen
Quote of the Day: “I write not because I want to but because I am destined to.” Jules Haigler
Photo Credit: Pixabay
The why behind the doing!
First, let me define some of the terms I’ll be using as to not complicate the understanding of what I’m saying.
Who is a writer?
A writer is a person who uses written words in various styles and techniques to communicate their ideas. Wikipedia
What is the difference between a writer and author?
According to the dictionary, a writer is one who expresses ideas in writing or engaged in literary work. An author is a person who writes a novel, poem, essay etc., and the composer of a literary work. You become an author when your books are published, but if your writings are never published, you remain a writer.
What is the meaning of authorpreneur?
Authorpreneur is the business end of being an author. To me, it’s no different than being an entrepreneur for starting up any kind of business. Of course, the author added to the shortened entrepreneur pinpoints the exact kind of business the person is involved in.
Learning to be an authorpreneur is about positioning yourself (branding) for the best possible outcome for your writing efforts.
You may be thinking I don’t want to do this! I’d prefer to just write. You are not by yourself. Many writers turned authors who became entrepreneurs feel the same way. However, even the bestselling authors are required to participate in the marketing of their books. Many embrace this opportunity to better understand their readers and to help keep the buzz around their names.
Being a writer and authorpreneur, in the business of promoting and marketing to sell and profit from your writing, is a lifetime learning experience. To accomplish this feat as a writer you need to write, read, and study the craft of writing.
Then changing directions towards getting your book/s in the hands of readers is another challenge in of itself. The same lessons apply to learn publishing and marketing – study, read, write, and learn how to expand your brand to reach new readers.
To improve as an author, I’ve found that it’s a good idea to read books in your genre, continue your daily writing and set aside time to learn more about writing.
Today’s blog post is the result of my applying these steps to my writing life. My personal standard is to never read a book I don’t think I’ll enjoy! Hope you enjoy my review of An Innocent Client by Scott Pratt!
Joe Dillard was a criminal defense attorney who didn’t like his job. Never did. His plans after law school were to work in the District Attorney’s office as a prosecutor. The problem, the pay didn’t line up with the time and cost of the education required to practice law.
The only choice was to open a law firm. He did with a promise to himself that eventually he’d quit and become a prosecuting attorney. But, first, he had to provide for his family and see his children through school. The pay was good. Yet, knowing his clients were guilty and worse, maggots of the earth tormented him. He desperately wanted to be on the opposite side, not defending the scum of the earth.
The years passed by and he was looking forward to retirement. The income from his practice and his wife’s management of their assets was securing their future. And, when the time was right, he’d call it quits. But, for once he’d like to represent an innocent client before he retired.
He was counting down the days to his exit from practicing law when a new case was offered him. He quoted a fee much higher than normal for he’d not planned to stay for a lengthy trial.
Money wasn’t an issue and his desire to represent an innocent client came to mind. All he had to do was talk to the young, beautiful woman charged with first-degree murder and decide whether to take the case. Would he finally get a chance to represent an innocent client?
If you enjoy reading legal thrillers and mysteries, check this one out! It’s a well-written story that’ll keep your interest.
Carolyn M. Bowen, Author 