Maggie Pill Mysteries

     Honestly, there is that "Ho-hum" aspect to it after thirty-plus books. I enjoy the writing and the editing and the putting it all together, but as RAINING CATS AND CATS gets closer to being ready for the world to see, I have to start planning promotions and hyping my work.I'm not very good at that part. First, I simply can't lie and tell you it's the best book you'll ever read. Second, I get tired of trying to grab readers' attention when 30,000 other authors are doing the same thing, every month, all year, every year. I've tried all the things "they" tell you to do to sell books: ads, blog tours, review sites, street teams. I haven't seen much evidence that any of them work. My LEAST touted book, THE SLEUTH SISTERS, became my best seller ever, all by itself. Books that I promote broadly, stories that I think are great reads, sit at only a few hundred sales. That makes it hard to get excited about hyping the next book, but here go...

The fourth Sleuth Sisters is out on audio, and I have to tell you, I laughed out loud at times as I listened to the actresses read. They're so perfectly Barb, Faye, and Retta! I'm always thrilled with how well Actors' Audio in Chicago handles my books, and the creation of audio books through Audible.com is pretty stress-less for the author. You submit the book for audition, choose the narrator(s) you like, and send them the MS. It takes a while, since there's a lot of studio time, editing, and such involved, but at some point you get the files, listen to them to make sure you're happy with the product, and then okay it. A week or so later, bob's your uncle! Here are the particulars, and if you'd like a code for a free version of the book, let me know. We love to get reviews on both the story and the audio presentation. SS#4 on Amazon

We're going to try something new today. I read about InstaFreebie online, and I want to see if it's as easy as they say. Soooooo, if you haven't read THE SLEUTH SISTERS or you know someone who should, here's the link to a FREE e-copy http://www.instafreebie.com/free/1XMHQ I would appreciate some feedback on how well InstaFreebie works, because I understand people are abusing the Amazon Gift books that authors provide. When we "gift" an e-book on Amazon, a few nasty folks trade that gift in for cash and spend it on something else. I know, it's sad. I guess people who would do that aren't likely to provide an Amazon review anyway, which is why we give books away (and because we love our readers, of course!) InstaFreebie claims it can work with any e-reader. I put the book up for a week, so you have until next Wednesday, Dec. 9, to get your copy or tell someone else how to find it. If it works well, I'll do more giveaways over the n...

We'll start with a giveaway--How's that for getting in the Christmas spirit? I have 2 copies of Peg's historical mystery, HER MAJESTY'S MISCHIEF, in large print to give away . If you have someone on your Christmas list who needs/prefers large print , here's a chance to get them Book #4 of the Simon & Elizabeth series. What do you do? If you're signed up for my newsletter, just say so in the comments below and I'll put your name in the drawing for one of the books. If you're not signed up for my newsletter, you can sign up below.   (You might want to know that I only send a newsletter when I have a new book coming out, and I'll   never give your name/email to anyone else.) If your name is drawn I'll contact you and you can decide if you want the book mailed to you or directly to the person on your gift list (personalized, of course!. Once you're signed up, you'll also be eligible for freebies I plan to send...

Remember that old TV show, That Was the Week That Was ? (Um, me neither. That was way before my time. Really.) Anyway, this week is the release of the third Sleuth Sisters book: Murder in the Boonies. It's available in print now on Amazon and at Ingram. The Kindle version goes live on Wednesday , so all of you who pre-ordered should have it show up on your device then. This one concerns the sisters' family farm, which Retta manages, renting the land to a local farmer and their parents' home to a man, woman, and her three daughters. When they move away abruptly, the sisters become suspicious, fearing at least some of them didn't leave voluntarily. To make matters more complicated, the renters leave behind their animals, and the sisters have to figure out what to do with them. Strange things happen. Strange men appear on the property. And strange ideas lead to danger for not just Barb, Faye, and Retta but for a lot of others as well. Here's something for ...