Going Wide with Audiobooks: Findaway Voices and Chirp Update
I am currently in the middle of a promotion of the audiobook editions of my Victorian San Francisco Mysteries: Books 1-4 ($1.99), Pilfered Promises ($1.99), Scholarly Pursuits ($2.99) and Lethal Remedies ($3.99). I wouldn’t have been able to do this promotion if I hadn’t made the decision to shift my audiobooks from being exclusive to ACX (Amazon’s audiobook production and distribution arm) to being non-exclusive and distributing through Findaway Voices. This shift meant my audiobooks would still available on Amazon and Audible, but they would now be available on a whole host of additional venues. Findaway Voices currently distributes books to over forty partners, including Audible. Three years ago, I discussed the reasons for making this shift in this blog piece and this seemed like a good time to provide an update on how this shift has worked out for me. Read more…
Dandy’s Daring Deeds
As I finished writing Entangled Threads, my latest novel in the Victorian San Francisco Mystery series that came out last week, I realized with some regret that I hadn’t found a way to bring Dandy, the Boston Terrier, into the story. At the same time, it occurred to me that a good number of people who read (or increasingly listen to) my full-length novels haven’t encountered my shorter works, which is where I have given Dandy the opportunity to play a more predominant role. So, I decided to put together the three shorter works that feature Dandy (and an excerpt from a longer work) in this collection (which represents a considerable discount from buying the stories separately). I hope you will take the time to get reacquainted (or acquainted for the first time) with Dandy and his young friends in Read more…
Pilfered Promises and other Holiday Promotions
Now that the presidential election is over, and at least half of the American public is feeling relieved, it seemed a good time to turn my attention to the holidays and let you know about some promotional deals that are currently available. First, I have made Pilfered Promises, the fifth book in my series that is set in during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas in 1880, free. In addition, for the month of November, the audiobook edition of the short story, Mrs. O’Malley’s Midnight Mystery, is only 99 cents on Chirp. Finally, I’ve included a description of Murder by Misrule, a historical mystery that is set during the winter holidays in Elizabethan England, which I think all of you might enjoy. Pilfered Promises: It is November of 1880, and the future looks promising for Annie and Nate Dawson. Nate’s law Read more…
Lethal Remedies and other Audiobook News
Lethal Remedies is now an Audiobook: Last spring as the pandemic broke out, there was some debate about whether or not audiobooks, which had been increasing their sales year-over-year, would take a hit. The logic was that most people had been listening to audiobooks while they were commuting. With the lock-down in many large urban cities, the initial drop in sales numbers seemed to support that idea. Yet, as the months of social isolation have worn on, there have been signs that the decline in audiobook sales has been temporary. I was carefully watching these numbers in May, when Lethal Remedies came out, to determine whether or not I should hold off on getting the audiobook edition produced. The cost is minimal to produce ebook and print versions for my books (primarily the cost of the cover design) since I do Read more…
Valentine’s Day and Bloody Lessons
Every year I try to discount the third mystery in my series, Bloody Lessons, around February because of its Valentine’s Day setting. This year, the ebook is again Free on Kindle and all other major retailers until January 31. In addition, this year the audiobook edition is also discounted. You can get it on Apple Books for only $3.99 or on Chirp for $4.18 until February 14. (for those of you who prefer audible, the ebook only costs $7.49 when you have bought the Kindle Amazon edition.) To get you in the mood, here is a post I wrote some time ago about Valentine’s Day in 1880 (first published in the Historical Fiction Author’s Cooperative). I had so much fun figuring out how the Irish in San Francisco celebrated Halloween, that as I started writing Bloody Lessons, I decided I should Read more…
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