Maggie Pill Mysteries

Peril, Plots, and Puppies, the 6th Sleuth Sisters Mystery, is currently in production as an audio book at Cerny American in Chicago. It's always interesting to be part of the process, and though I'm far away, I have some responsibilities. Of course I can choose the people who read my books. Since I've been happy with all the earlier audiobooks, I'm happy to stick with the Cernys. I did learn that the actress who reads Faye is no longer available, so I had to okay a new narrator for that segment. Her audition was good, and I think the books will continue to move well from pages to audio files. I also try to give the narrators a list of words that Michiganders know well but others might not, place names like Mackinac, items common here but not in Chicago like pasties, and in the case of this book, German dog commands. Now I know they can look that up, but why should they have to when I have a friend who taught German for decades? She kindly provided me with phonetics...

Book #1 I looked up the word benchmark but I didn't learn much. It's a combination of bench + mark, and it represents a new standard. (So what's the bench got to do with it?  Do we sit down and rest when we reach a point where we've done something really cool? I don't intend to. Who wants to rest when you're on a roll?) Wherever the word came from, I'm approaching a benchmark with The Sleuth Sisters, the first book in the series. Sometime in the next week it will hit 1500 in audio book sales. For a book I wrote under a pseudonym, published myself, and promoted haphazardly at best, that's amazing. The production company people are pretty happy, too, since I did a 50-50 share of the profits with them rather than pay upfront. With a second, third, and soon a fourth installment in the series, we've got a small but reassuring stream of money coming in. In e-book, print, and audio sales, I'm earning more on the Sleuth Sisters than any of my ot...

The second Sleuth Sisters book is now out on audio (at Amazon, Audible, & iTunes). I'm learning about audio--very slowly. When I originally signed a contract for book #1, THE SLEUTH SISTERS, I pictured CDs I could take to events and sell. That isn't how it's done, at least not on Audible. It's a download. Someone suggested that since the books are pretty popular in Michigan, I should let the Library for the Blind know about their availability for audio. I did, but I learned that at least some libraries want/need the CD. Besides, they buy through Overdrive, not Amazon. So yeah, I'm learning. Still, the first audiobook is doing well, and I just got word that the second is out, at least on Audible. I don't see it on Amazon yet, so keep checking if that's the way you buy. Now we get to start the whole process over with book #3! Here's a preview of that cover, though I sent in some requests for fine-tuning.

The second Sleuth Sisters really is coming out on audio. It's just taking longer than anyone expected. Our target was January 15, but it's more like February 20-something now. I just okayed it for about the third time, and the delays are probably my fault. Right now it's in review, where Audible checks it to be sure it will download and play, etc., which usually takes a week. I think in future I should just make the latest date I think is possible for release and add a month to it. For those past Book #2, Murder in the Boonies, Sleuth Sisters #3, is with the editor and cover designer. I'll give you all a sneak peek at the cover as soon as I get it.