Is there a book or two (or, horrors, three!) among the JP Weiscarver Mystery Series that you’ve not read? Act now and I’ll make it incredibly inexpensive for you to get started catching up. Consider it my own dollar menu.
Until Thursday, July 24, at midnight, Pacific time (3 a.m. Friday, Eastern), “The Reporter, a Ferret and a Hurricane” is available in electronic form for only 99 cents. At that time, the first book in the series will return to its normal price. Click this link to make it happen: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AFB2DPY.
But wait, there’s more. From Aug. 1 to Aug. 7, “The Reporter and the Penguin” will be available for download for only 99 cents.
And you guessed it, after another week off, “The Reporter and the Rose” will sell for 99 cents from Aug 15 through Aug. 21.
“The Reporter, a Ferret and a Hurricane” for 99 cents. “The Reporter and the Penguin” for 99 cents. “The Reporter and the Rose” for 99 cents. (For the record, I looked into marking the paperbacks down as much as possible, but the minimum prices allowed by the publisher isn’t much less than the list prices, so that’s not going to happen.)
A brief Q&A:
How can I take advantage of these remarkable deals? Go to amazon.com during the sale times, buy them and download instantly. Really, it’s that simple. You’ll find “Ferret” at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AFB2DPY.
Do I have to own a Kindle to read them? Certainly not. You should find a link on the page where you can download a free Kindle application for your smartphone, tablet or computer.
OK, pretend I’ve not been paying attention and tell me about your books. Even though you failed to state it in the form of a question, I’ll answer. After spending twenty-something years working in small daily newspapers and getting to know hundreds of amazing people, I decided to create a fictitious city – Oldport, on the Gulf of Mexico – and write stories about JP Weiscarver, a reporter at the Odds and Ends newspaper. Beginning with the “Ferret” story, JP started stumbling into death investigations and it seems he’s pretty good at it, especially with the assistance of cops reporter Jennifer O’Hanlon. The books are short novels, about 40,000 words each, and driven by the characters within.
So, why the markdown? (1) So you’ll have no excuse to not read them and then you can tell your friends how great they are. (2) So you’ll want a paperback copy for your bookshelf and/or to give as a gift. (3) So you’ll start clamoring for the next book, “The Reporter and the Sloth.”
With which book should I start? I always suggest starting with “Ferret.” The books are sequential; “Penguin” makes references to the first book and “Rose” builds on characters from both. Going in order, you’ll get to meet new characters as they’re added. I’ve not mentioned this before, but at least the last two books also contain seeds for possible future stories. No, I’m not revealing what. That being said, you can read any one book independent of the others and enjoy it just fine. My favorite, so far, is “Rose,” but the latest work probably should be a writer’s pet.
Are these adult books or kid books? They are written for adults, but are kid friendly. I suspect most readers 13 and older would enjoy them, but I’m awaiting, and would welcome, more feedback in that department. There is no cussing, sex or violence, outside the fact someone has to die in order to have a murder mystery.
OK, in addition to buying books, what can I do to help? Thank you, thank you, thank you. Spreading the word is a big reason for putting the books on sale. Here are just a few ideas:
— When you’ve read a book, tell your friends – verbally or through e-mail or social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or whatever. Be honest. If it’s not your type of book, tell them. It might be theirs.
— Rate and comment on the book on Amazon, Goodreads, the site where you bought it or other appropriate sites.
— Suggest any of the series for your book club or to a friend in a book club.
— Like the Facebook page of my main character, JP Weiscarver, at https://www.facebook.com/JPWeiscarver. Share his posts with your friends when you feel it’s appropriate. Even comments and likes help.
— Follow me, smartaindale, on Twitter, though that deals with all kinds of things, not just the books.
— Keep up with this page by clicking the “Follow” button in the lower right corner and entering your e-mail.
Is that all? (Sarcasm intended.) Hey, you asked, but there is one other thing. Right now, tell your friends this book is available to download for only 99 cents. Send them the url to this page or use a share function below. It’s a good idea to put a brief note on top in which you suggest they consider downloading the book.
Steve Martaindale 