Lofty Overall Status On FREE Kindle For Opur's Blade

Embracing the Kindle Select free promotional program has been a God-send for me in that it has pushed one of my novels - Opur's Blade - to a very lofty level on Kindle. Initially my view of giving away books was met with reluctance. In my mind the thought process was that I wanted to get paid for my efforts. Any independent author would, or so I thought.

However there was one gigantic hurdle. If readers did not know that an obscure indie author existed, then how would they find that author's work? Marketing people stressed to me the importance of being "out there." The way to do that was to take advantage of the marketing tools provided by Amazon's Kindle Select program and give away ebooks.

So, I got organized, made some friends within the Free Kindle marketing companies, and gave it a coordinated effort. Opur's Blade has "taken off" during the latest promotional period which is running July 20-21. It has broken into the Top 25 in Free Kindle Overall books and sits atop the rankings in Sports Fiction, Cozy Mystery/Suspense, and Young Adult/Teen books. The downloads are off the chart. Get your free Kindle copy now on Amazon. The reviews have been fantastic.

Oh - a little about the book. It's a cozy sports mystery with an ending that will challenge any reader. If you're looking for some character-based suspense, then give it a try right here!

Opur's Blade - #FathersDay Kindle FREEBIE #IARTG #ASMSG #CozyMystery

After penning six novels from fictional Prairie Winds Golf Course I started to utilize the wonderful free download option that Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) makes available to readers who own Kindle devices. The results on my first promotional book - Shari's Shot - were outstanding. So I quickly decided to schedule another free download on a different book.

On Monday and Tuesday, June 15 and 16, readers will be able to download free Kindle copies of Opur's Blade.

A young mother is anxious to provide an exciting opportunity for her son. Her enthusiasm enrolls the lad in a summer instructional program at the local golf course. During the first lesson the head golf pro realizes that he has a child prodigy in his midst.

Thus begins a journey through family hardship, a future without aim, and a sudden love affair. When the chance of a lifetime beckons the young man calls on the advice of an old mentor. Try to figure out the ending in this cozy mystery. It will come as a surprise.

James Ross has penned six character-based novels. Laugh, cry, and feel the emotions portrayed by the Midwestern cast of regulars. More importantly, help yourself to a free download and enjoy the read!

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.