Shari’s Shot – No. 1 Crime #Fiction #Bestseller on FREE Kindle #AtoZChallenge

Today is the "S" Day in the A to Z Challenge - 2016.

Shari’s Shot surprised me. As I was writing it I thought that it would end up being an entertaining book. After the proofing and editing process was completed we went to work on the cover graphics. Since I had written the book a firm image of the main character was planted in my head. In an online search the right look caught my eye. We applied some interesting touches. The final product looked great. We nailed the cover.

That’s when I decided it was time to finally spend some marketing dollars to promote. The manuscript was converted to an eBook. I registered it in the Kindle Select program. The marketing service I used strongly suggested that I give it away for free to entice readers. Since their fee was paid I figured that I had better pay heed to the advice. The first giveaway day was impressive. Downloads of the eBook soared past the 5,000 level by late morning. I finally had readers!

Then a funny thing happened.

The attention that the title received brought a host of other marketing people out of the shadows. My Twitter accounts were bombarded with offers from other services promising numbers that would be more impressive. Since I had a few more giveaway dates left I thought they I would give them a chance as well. One in particular blew me away. On their day eBook downloads of Shari’s Shot topped 20,000 by lunchtime.

That was impressive enough to put the title into the Top 50 Overall on Amazon’s FREE Kindle. In the sub-category of Crime Fiction those numbers pushed it to the Number 1 position. It happened so fast that I didn’t have a chance to take a screenshot of the success. I wouldn’t make that mistake on my other titles that were promoted.

What is Shari’s Shot about? The mid-life itch hits Shari, the wife of a self-made St. Louis real estate mogul. Her affair leads to divorce proceedings. However her lover isn’t keeping a secret very well. His live-in is suspicious of his infidelities and doesn’t want to let him go. To complicate the situation Shari’s husband, Tyler Cy, doesn’t want to let her go either.

Then a boyfriend that Shari had earlier in her marriage turns up dead from a gunshot wound in a carpool parking lot while waiting to join golfing buddies.

Two detectives go to work. Shari’s country club life is not altered even though the membership is cancelled. Her spoiled disposition allows her lifestyle to continue and Tyler’s Cy’s money derails the investigation. Then a break in the case changes the scenery. There’s no need to ruin the ending. 

Feel free to read the Amazon reviews. Right now there are over 50 with a 4.2 star rating. The story is entertaining and full of twists and turns. Members of Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited can download the eBook for free. Give Shari’sShot a try!

James Ross has penned several novels from the Prairie Winds Golf Course setting. The stories are character-based, cross many genres, and have become Kindle favorites. Visit his  website for detailed information, reader comments, and contact links.

4/23 - Last Kindle Freebie For Shari's Shot

What a ride Shari's Shot has been on. The marketing on my newest release included five free eBook download days on Kindle. Thursday, April 23 is the final promotional day. I must says the entire experience has been remarkable.

Shari's Shot, a cozy mystery with several twists and turns as well as a surprise ending, zoomed off the charts. During the last free period the downloads numbered in the thousands. The title quickly rose to the Number 1 position in the Fiction/Crime - Murder category. It held the Number 2 position in the Cozy Mystery category. The downloads were so plentiful that the book soared into the Top 50 fiction books that had been downloaded on Kindle with a ranking as high as 44. We're hoping to add to those figures on April 23.

Join us and treat yourself to a complimentary eBook. The story is about a high society divorce in St. Louis. With threatening texts, a lover's triangle, an aggressive female divorce attorney, confessions, jail time, and a liaison with a US Congresswoman does it matter that a body turns up in a carpool parking lot? The reviews have been as good as one could hope for. Visit Amazon on 4/23 for a free download!

FREE Kindle #eBook - Round Two (April 6-7)

Any author that has tried to sell a book will probably admit that marketing a book is a lot tougher than putting forth the effort to write and publish a book. On my most recent release - Shari's Shot - I jumped onto the Kindle KDP Select promotional train with a very detailed and thorough effort.

Authors that participate get 5 free days to give away their eBook product. I scheduled those days over a six week period and so far my experience has been nothing short of amazing. On the first 2 days Shari's Shot seemed to go viral. It went from obscurity (being one of a million books) and rose into the Top 500 eBooks that have been downloaded on Kindle.

We've fallen off a bit since that lofty status, but hope to soar again up the list when Stage 2 of the free giveaway takes place on April 6-7. My hope is that mystery readers, St. Louisans, and golf crazy fans at The Masters find this to be an attractive read.

Oh. The plot? After filing for divorce chaos surrounds Shari Daniels-Donnelly. Threatening texts, confessions, jail time, arrests, and a liaison with a US Congresswoman add to the twists and turns. When a body turns up in a carpool parking lot two detectives are determined to find out who was responsible.

Early reviews have been outstanding! Go to Kindle April 6-7 for a free download.

A Kindle Freebie - Shari's Shot

With the early success of Shari's Shot I thought that I would try a promotional feature that is available to authors that participate in the KDP Select program offered by Amazon. The eBook concept is dismantling the bricks and mortar of yesteryear. Readers can't fight it. So, as an author I'm jumping on for the ride.

Free eBook downloads of Shari's Shot will be offered to Kindle users on March 18-19, April 6-7 as well as April 23. The book marketing business is so competitive that independent authors have to find creative ways to reach readers. Offering free books is about as revolutionary as a writer can get. The publishing industry is offering a wonderful service to readers and I'm excited to be a part of it.

Try any of the working links. They will direct you to Shari's Shot which will be offered for free on the above mentioned dates.

Oh, the story? After filing for divorce chaos surrounds Shari Daniels-Donnelly. Threatening texts, a lover's triangle, jail time, confessions, and a liaison with a US Congresswoman add to the twists and turns in this story. When a body is found in a carpool parking lot a detective duo is determined to find who was responsible.

The early reviews have been outstanding!

Shari's Shot - #Book #Giveaway on #GOODREADS

With the release of my newest book I'm dedicated to new promotional efforts in an attempt to utilize the exciting tools that are available to authors. One of those marketing programs is the FREE book giveaway promotion that is offered by GOODREADS, a popular site for readers. In this offer I'm giving away an autographed copy of Shari's Shot in a very attractive 6 X 9 Trade Paperback with high gloss cover.

From February 23 to March 18, 2015 I'm offering 13 free copies of Shari's Shot to a global audience. This character-based, murder-for-hire thriller is set at the Prairie Winds Golf Course, a familiar venue for frequent readers of mine.

Feel free to visit the Author James Ross website to register for a free copy. For alternative registration please travel to GOODREADS to sign up for a free book there - US residents and worldwide readers.

Stay tunes. There will be more offers available in the coming months!

#Blogger Help Wanted

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

HELP WANTED: #Bloggers - My thought process is working outside the box on this endeavor. I'd like to try a different marketing strategy. Shari's Shot, my newest release, is in need of some outside help from writers that penetrate social media sites.

I'm looking for bloggers that need material to write about. The following paragraph lists various topics that were discussed in my book. After a short blog article is written a selfless promotional tag about my newest release will be placed at the end of the article.

Those interested in writing about divorce, texting, a lover's triangle, golf, murder-for-hire, divorce attorneys, justice, infidelity, St. Louis, socialites, or defense lawyers are welcome to contact me on Twitter as @golfnovels.

At the tail end of the blog I'd like to include the following tag:  After the high-powered attorney for wealthy St. Louis socialite Shari Daniels-Donnelly files for divorce from real estate mogul, Tyler Cy, life becomes complicated. Young lovers, a multimillion dollar settlement, and marital freedom become compromised amid threatening texts, arrests, confessions, jail time and a liaison with a U.S. Congresswoman. When a lover is found shot to death a detective duo is determined to find who fired the shot. Shari's Shot, the newest character-based, realistic fiction novel from James Ross is available in hardcover, paperback and eBook format.

Cover Reveal For My New Release

Shari's Shot, the latest in the series of books from Prairie Winds Golf Course is due to be released in late January. Purchase information from Amazon should be available sometime in February. Here is the front cover which has received favorable comments.

More excitement arrives at Prairie Winds Golf Course on the east side of St. Louis when former Mrs. Missouri, Shari Daniels-Donnelly, in a fluke twist of a bottle cap earns a chance to win $1 million at America's greatest golf tournament, The Classic.

Shari is among the fashionable nouveau-riche, a member of prestigious Olde Blueblood Country Club, and seeking excitement outside a stale union with real estate mogul, Tyler Cy Donnelly. After her high powered and influential attorney, Leslie Potter, serves divorce papers it appears that Shari is on the path to a luxurious lifestyle that includes young lovers, a multimillion dollar settlement, and freedom from the balls and chains of a boring marriage.

Events become complicated when a young Latin lover supplants a longtime friend who vies for Shari's attention. Between threatening texts, arrests, jail time, confessions, and a liaison with a U.S. Congresswoman Shari's pending divorce delivers chaos. When a lover is found shot to death in a carpool parking lot prior to a golf outing a detective duo is determined to find out who fired the shot.

This story promises to bring controversy!

My Kindle Countdown Continues

Opur's Blade, here we come! During the second week in December one of my most popular books will be discounted on Kindle.

It is easy to see why Amazon has risen to the forefront in book sales and marketing. Kindle has developed a neat promotional tool. With a 90-day commitment to Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Select an author can choose several different options in an attempt to increase exposure.

For my first experience I elected to try the Countdown Deal program. Essentially I chose the starting price of my book and the number of price changes that would occur during the 6-day promotional period. The drawback was that I could not offer the titles in any other eBook format.

During the first week, Lifetime Loser, my first novel that kicked off the Prairie Winds Golf Course series, was offered at discounted prices. To stay in real time KDP Select updates their sales statistics almost immediately. While the number of units sold was lower than expected it was encouraging to see my author and book ranking soar from a percentage standpoint as one-click purchases were made. My marketing on all of the social networking sites increased as well as my presence on some book sites that marketed directly to Kindle users/readers.

During the second week of the promotion, Opur's Blade, will be offered. This is the 4th book in the series. After a freak accident the child prodigy (Opur) perfects his putting stroke using a tired, worn-out putter. During his journey he has to deal with family hardship, a future without aim and a sudden love interest. Through a stroke of good fortune he rises to the top of his profession and earns an opportunity to play opposite the world's number one player in the most elite golf tournament in the US --- The Classic.

While it appears that this story might interest golfers only I think that reader comments will confirm that there is a lot more going on in this story than just golf. This character-based novel draws male AND female readers into the heart of the action.

Pabby's Score, my latest, will be promoted the following week. After that we will sit down, analyze the sales and where they came from as well as the publicity that was generated to see if another promotion will be considered. I will say that the preliminary results have been very encouraging. I love the way Amazon provides recommendations based on genre, hot sellers and Kindles users. Up to this point my experience could be categorized as -- so far, so good!