Suspense. Adventure. BadAss Heroines
And Happy New Year! I hope everyone has a wonderful, peace- and joy-filled holiday season, and an absolutely fantastic start to 2019. I’m certainly ready for a new year!
PS: What would a holiday post be without a gift? YUCATAN DEAD (A Kate Jones Thriller) is on sale for .99 through January 4th. Click here for links to all available platforms. It’s the closest thing I’ve got to a Christmas story 🙂
So remember when I told y’all I was doing the whole “slow blog” thing? Yeah. Well, 6 months later…(that’s reeeeaaallly slooooow blogging, yes?) I’m going to try to get back into posting more. I really enjoy it, and would love to be able to do it more regularly…if I can only find the time (yeah, yeah, cry me a river, right? Hopefully some of you are still out there, or I’ll be shouting into the wind…but at least I’m shouting?)
Please don’t hold me to it, though. Life has a way of shtupping my best-laid plans. You can relate? Yeah.
Thought so.
I’ve been thinking about time a lot lately, probably because my octogenarian parents are here for the summer (literally here, as in they’re living in the mother-in-law apartment in the back yard…) and time seems to have compressed into that whole day-to-day, deal with the now and all the crazy that happens when you have a couple of generations sharing space.
I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Having said that, though, I must confess to yearning for a deserted beach with warm, white sand and turquoise blue water and nothing to do except read and sleep because there’s no service and my cell phone has essentially become a camera. Or a doorstop. Your choice.
So take a vacation, you say. We did. To Europe. In the name of research *cough*
Not to a quiet tropical locale with copious amounts of rum and sun, which, in retrospect may have been a wee bit easier on our so-not-twenty-anymore bodies… (I only took my phone this time–no laptop, no professional camera–to see if I could survive without them. I’d like to report that I only had one or two moments when I wished I had one or the other. It still amazes me.)
All kidding aside, our time my research trip to Europe was amazing. We saw too many museums, cathedrals, and castles, ate and drank too much, seriously walked way too much, met some fine people (I’m looking at you, Dawn and Barry…and you, too, Dave and Ivca), and had too much fun (wait–is that even possible?). But apparently when I plan a trip, I tend to plan for someone much younger than myself.
Oops.
(Yes, Mark and I are still on speaking terms…)
To top it off, as soon as we got back there was the book launch for Dark Return and all the myriad details attendant to that, including formatting (yes, I still do it myself. I know. I know), updating the back matter in the other books, sending out advance reader copies, emails to my readers’ list, all sorts of promotion, making sure I got some swag out the door, yada yada yada. Then we flew to Arizona to pick up the folks in sweltering, furnace-like heat (so not comfortable when you’re used to the weather in the Pacific Northwet).
We just got back (after the flight from hell, but that’s another story) and now I’m in the middle of a big sale on one of my box sets. In between, we got Mom and Dad stocked up with all the necessities—wine, snacks, chocolate, wine, and soup—as well as help them get settled, which is understandably more difficult when you’re in your 80s. Oh, and I have a vegetable garden that needs massive help, tons of flowers and too many weeds, the lawn needs mowing, the outdoor chairs really need repainting, and you can’t see my house because the wisteria is taking over the front porch.
And my neighbors wonder why there are so many wine bottles in our recycling.
Anyhow, that’s my report for spring break. Crossing fingers everything settles down and I’ll be able to breathe and actually start posting again. How about you? How is your spring/fall shaping up? Is it just me or is time whooshing by faster than you can say “Holy crap?”
Lies. Deception. A nation on the brink of war…
That’s the first line of the description for my latest Leine Basso thriller, THE LAST DECEPTION. This one’s a bit of a departure for Leine, since it primarily deals with espionage and terrorism. I’ve been a huge fan of spy thrillers for as long as I can remember and thought it would be fun to write what I loved to read.
Turns out, it was much more difficult than I thought.
My first draft was all right according to early readers, but it felt like there was something missing. I sent it off to my weapons and operations guy, but he was out of pocket and wouldn’t be able to take a look for a couple of weeks. So I took a chance and sent it to a writer friend who has experience with security operations and arms dealers and such, and asked him to take a look to see if he could identify what was off.
Well, I asked for it 🙂
One month and several pages of detailed, no-holds-barred notes later, and The Last Deception finally felt like the novel I’d been longing to write. One more round of revisions (2 pages of notes this time, and my ops guy got back to me with some great ideas), and I sent it off to my amazing editor, Laurie. The result is a book that I’m very excited to share with you all. Yes, it took 3 months longer than my usual 6-month turnaround, but I’m indie–I have no hard deadlines. The book gets published when the book is ready.
It’s currently available for pre-order at all retailers and you’ll save 50% if you get it before launch day (20 September). Click here for more information.
Here’s a short video I created to go with the novel. Let me know what you think in the comments:
I’d love it if you’d let all your thriller-loving friends know about the book, and especially about the pre-order sale. Advance reader reviews have been fantastic, to say the least, so you can rest assured it’s readable 🙂
That’s it for now. I’ll post sometime next week with an excerpt, so come on back.
Have a thrilling weekend!
I’m thrilled to announce that VIGILANTE DEAD is now live! You can get it for the super special launch price of 99c (ends 12/11). Here are the links:
And here’s the description:
Death. Lies. Revenge.
After years of running, Kate Jones is finally putting her past behind her. Between restoring ties with her younger sister, moving in with Sam, a cop-turned PI, and working as a PI herself, she’s learning to live life without looking over her shoulder.
Then Kate lands a case that changes everything: a young college student with no history of drug abuse dies of an overdose, and the parents come to Kate demanding answers. Soon, Seattle is reeling from dozens more deaths, all with the same chemical markers. At first, police assume that the victims are closet junkies who got hold of a bad combination, but after someone close to her becomes a victim, Kate believes something far more sinister is going on.
The deeper Kate digs, the more she uncovers about the deadly drug’s origins, forcing her to choose between doing what’s right…
…and getting revenge.
What are you waiting for? You could be reading this book right now 🙂
‘Tis the season…I’ve joined forces with 12 bestselling thriller authors to bring you THRILLER 13, a set of 13 thriller novellas and short stories, just in time for the holidays. I consider it an honor to be a part of Thriller 13—not only because of the fabulous writers who are involved but because we’re donating 100% of profits to fight the exploitation and human trafficking of children.
As most of you know, human trafficking (especially children) has figured heavily in the Leine Basso series, and is one of the main reasons I wrote Bad Traffick, The Body Market, and Cargo. All of the authors in this set are committed to fighting human trafficking, and I’m stoked to have been asked to participate. For a limited time, you can pick up the set on most retail sites for 99c (once this set is gone, it’s gone). Here are the links:
(*Edited link–it should work now!) How about some FREE ebooks? In another awesome collaboration, I’ve joined 14 other fantastic authors and Instafreebie to bring you 15 free thrillers. NYT & USA Today bestsellers, Amazon bestsellers, you name it, they’re in here. Download 1 or all 15–they’re all free (just click on the image above). You’ll be asked to enter your email address so Instafreebie can send you the free books. The address is then given to the author, which will allow them to send you infrequent notices about new releases and such. A fair exchange for hours of free reading, I think, and a risk-free way to try new authors 🙂
Well, that’s all I have for now. I’ll be back on Friday with another post and a chance to win something. Until then, have a fabulous week!
DV
So A Killing Truth is out (yay!) and early feedback is encouraging, which is a huge relief. Why, you ask? Because the book is a prequel and had two enormous tasks:
1: it had to hew closely to everything I’d written about Leine’s early life in the other books (my thoughts of which tended to be along the lines of Oh, holy crap, what was I thinking???), and
2: it had to strike the right tone and not be just a rehash so that readers of the series would still be intrigued enough to read it. Aka: Reader Expectation.
Okay, so let me dig a little deeper into the first seemingly insurmountable task. As many of you know, my writing process is a hybrid of sketching out a rough outline combined with a seat-of-your-pants, cross your fingers and hope for the best, kind of style.
But I wasn’t always that organized 🙂
For example, when I wrote Serial Date, most of that novel came out in a torrent of mad writing sessions with a freaky dream as the catalyst. It’s filled with all sorts of, “Hey! Let’s make Leine loath tattoos. Why? Hell, I don’t know, maybe something happened in her past.” Followed by, “Well, what happened? I know! It should have something to do with an old target named The Frenchman, who of course almost killed her.”
And do you think I left it at that? Nope. Then I had to think of a reason that Leine and her old boss were no longer on speaking terms-the reason she left the Agency and ended her career as an assassin. What could Eric (her boss) have done that was so heinous that she should have killed him off? And why didn’t she? So I created what I thought would be a good explanation and left it at that. But I hadn’t thought through the logistics because I didn’t have to.
You know, because the book was going to be a standalone.
Bonus writing tip: Always think of the book you’re currently writing in terms of an over-arching series, even when it’s not. Because dollars to donuts, if you don’t, it will become one, guaranteed.
Okay, so readers wanted more Leine and I was happy to oblige, but I wanted to tackle current issues. Although the subject of Serial Date is reality shows, which is a current phenomenon in our culture, the book has an irreverent, satirical tone and I couldn’t figure out a way to satirize human trafficking without coming off as an asshole.
You see my dilemma.
So, I changed the tone of the second book (Bad Traffick) to hard-hitting, traditional-ish thriller and we were off! (Bonus writing tip #2: Always think of the book you’re currently writing in terms of an over-arching series. This includes consistency in tone.) I added a few more details to Leine’s backstory throughout the next three books, this time with the idea that I would someday write a prequel.
And here’s where it gets gnarly. The horrible transgression Eric committed was having Leine do something she would never, ever do if she knew all the details.
Leine’s a smart woman. In A Killing Truth, she’s at the top of her game as an assassin and takes pride in eliminating the worst of the worst. Eric had to make sure she was off-balance and would more likely make a mistake, or at least not be aware of his duplicity, which could royally mess with his plans.
Luckily, after much tooth-gnashing and pulling of hair, I was able to craft a realistic scenario that would incorporate all the little clues my subconscious had deposited throughout the series. I even had a couple of aha! moments that I surely didn’t see coming. Which brings me to Task #2.
Reader Expectation.
The only way I knew to be sure the story matched or exceeded reader expectation was to write a fast-paced, explosive plot, with Leine as the central character. Yes, she’s younger and a bit less damaged (until the end), but the narrative tone is still vintage Leine, ensuring that longtime readers of the series won’t be disappointed.
I refuse to post spoilers here but if you’ve read Serial Date, you’ll have an idea of the heinous thing Eric has Leine do in A Killing Truth. And since I’m not a fan of back story in my novels you’ll also learn a whole lot more about her early life. And, as promised, I reveal why the hell Leine hates tattoos.
Go ahead and read A Killing Truth and tell me what you think. Do you enjoy reading prequels? If so, which ones really nailed it in terms of story and tone? If not, why not? Inquiring minds want to know.
Through January 28th, all books in both the Kate Jones and the Leine Basso thriller series are ON SALE for 25-75% off. If you haven’t had the chance to pick up these award-winning, bestselling thrillers, there’s still time 
Details below:
**US $ or equivalent, depending on country**
The Kate Jones Thriller series, Vol. 1 (#1-4) – $2.99
Cruising for Death (#5) – $2.99
Yucatán Dead (#6) – $2.99
A One Way Ticket to Dead (#7) – $2.99
Serial Date (#1) – $2.99
Bad Traffick (#2) – $2.99
The Body Market (#3) – ONLY $0.99
Cargo (#4) – $2.99
I thought since I hadn’t posted in a while (I’ve been concentrating on researching and writing the next Leine Basso book) I’d give an update on how things are going after the launch of The Body Market. The book’s been selling well and a couple of authors have contacted me privately to ask what I did differently, and whether I think those strategies worked. Since I love to analyze (not in any real scientific way, mind you) I sorted through all the things I did differently and those I didn’t and came to the same conclusion:
I have no effing idea which strategy worked the best.
Now, before you give me a ration of crap in the comments, let me clarify: if someone tells you that yes, this one thing they did caused Amazon’s bots to get behind their book, I’d have to call bullshit. Only Amazon knows how their site works, no matter what someone says. We can all try to guess what works until the moon explodes, but NO ONE REALLY KNOWS (and if anyone reading this does, in fact, know please leave a comment 🙂 )
Personally, I think it boils down to a combination of things: pre-launch hype, backlist, cover, genre, description (including using SEO keywords, and tags.), early reviews, press releases, advertising, social media posts, et al. You’ll notice I didn’t list pre-order, per se. That’s because while I expected Amazon’s pre-order option to work similarly to traditional pre-orders, e.g., all pre-order purchases rank on release day and give the book a bump of some kind hopefully onto a list or two, this did not happen with The Body Market. In fact, after all the work I did pushing pre-orders, the day after launch book sales on the ‘Zon dropped 70%.
Blech. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I’d never had that happen on a launch before and I was pissed.
And I didn’t know who or what to be pissed at, except myself. Somehow, somewhere, I’d messed up, but I didn’t have a clue what I’d done wrong. I dropped the price of Serial Date, the first book in the series, to 99 cents and advertised the hell out of it the week of the launch (AwesomeGang, EreaderNewsToday, FB, etc.). The Body Market’s pre-order price was 99 cents, which I also advertised with both free and paid options, although not too expensively (in other words, no BookBub ads).
There was one bright, shiny moment on launch day: when a handful of advance readers who had agreed to read and review the book posted their reviews. They were all fantastic and I’m so incredibly grateful for their support. If not for them, I think I would have crawled into a corner, assumed the fetal position, and sobbed uncontrollably into a glass of wine.
I had one more ad coming out the Saturday after launch, a new release post with Free Kindle Books and Tips. I usually see a good rate of downloads whenever I run an ad with this site (not NYT bestseller numbers by any means, but enough to push the book onto some lists). This time, though, something was wrong. I clicked over to the page where the book was listed and realized I’d toggled the wrong genre. Instead of thriller/suspense, I’d somehow chosen history. I sent a message to the owner of the site, but by this time the email had gone out to subscribers and that first flush of purchasers, if they didn’t read the description and figure out the book wasn’t even remotely history-related, had more than likely skimmed past the book.
Okay, so at that point Mark pretty much had to talk me off the ledge (which, in retrospect, wasn’t hard to do since we live in a one-story house). I decided then and there that whatever happened to the book was just meant to be and that I had done everything I could short of dancing naked in the middle of Pike Place Market holding up a cardboard cutout of the book cover and offering free booze to passersby.
Hmmm…maybe…um, nah. Seattle’s too damn cold.
Then, a miracle happened. Somewhere, somehow, something clicked and downloads started to do a kind of a crazy zig-zag on the report page. One day, sales tripled, the next day they sank back to post launch. The next day sales tripled again, but then the weekend hit and sales tanked. By this time, I was feeling all zen about the launch and I figured, hey, sales were sales and I should concentrate on the next book, forget about it all, immerse myself in the world of Leine once again, do what makes me happy. Basically, I adopted a fuck it attitude and let it go (cue song from Frozen)
The following Monday sales increased seven-fold and have been growing ever since. As I write this, the whole series is selling well. I rooted around to see if The Body Market somehow made it onto any big lists on the ‘Zon, but I couldn’t find it anywhere other than the usual suspects like Mystery, Thriller & Suspense>Crime and Thrillers>Assassinations, so I’m stymied. Now, I’m not naïve enough to believe the rate of downloads will last, but I’m supremely happy knowing the series is reaching more readers than ever and can’t wait to see how far the 4th book in the series will go. I wish I could point to one thing I did right, or even a few things, but hell if I know. I’ll probably do a lot of the same stuff for the next launch, but don’t expect it to follow the same patterns. The timing will be different, for one thing, so who knows what’ll happen?
I think that whole unknown is what intrigues me about this business. Predictable, it’s not.
So how about you guys? What are your launch strategies? Are you doing anything different? If so, what’s working and what isn’t?
EXCITEMENTE! Frabjous joy! and all that 🙂 THE BODY MARKET is LIVE! A HUGE thank you to everyone who pre-ordered a copy and an extra-special shout out to the Advance Reader Team–you guys ROCK! (want to be a member? Send an email to dvb@dvberkom.com and I’ll hook you up :-D).
It’s been pretty cool to watch the book hit etailers around the world–pre-orders are a great way to launch (yeah, even when you’re patience-challenged like myself 🙂 ) The book has sold way better in a bunch more countries than is usual for one of my launches, and I have to give the credit to pre-order availability. It’s definitely a keeper.
Anywho, if you missed the super-special low-price offer on the pre-order, don’t despair! There’s still time to download your copy before the price increases! (although, admittedly, not a LOT of time…) There’s even a bonus short story at the end featuring a character from the book. Prepare to be surprised…
Here are the links–feel free to bandy them about with abandon on any social media sites you might frequent. And, as always, an honest review is greatly appreciated 🙂
Amazon: http://bit.ly/bodymkt
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/bodymktBN
iBooks: http://bit.ly/thebodymktiBooks
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/bodymktSW
KOBO: http://bit.ly/bodymktKOBO
Have a GREAT weekend!