Variant Book Bomb

What is a book bomb? A book bomb is when we ask people to all buy the same book on the same day. This pushes the book up in the Amazon rankings and provides much needed exposure for the author. I wanted to pass on the information about the Variant book bomb. Larry Correia started this through his blog. Here is what he had to say about Rob Wells and his book Variant:
 
"Normally I wouldn’t bomb the same book again, but Rob is also going through a really tough time. A little while ago he was diagnosed with a severe panic disorder. Basically, something in his brain chemistry has gone out of whack, and his fight or flight reflex is constantly switched on. As a result this has really screwed up his life. He has been trying to get it under control and his doctors have been experimenting with different treatments trying to find the one that will click.


Recently, Rob was laid off from his day job as a result of his illness. This is a real financial hardship for him and his family.


What many people don’t realize about writers is that we keep our day jobs until we have about five or six books in circulation, and sometimes longer depending on how well they are selling. Writing isn’t the most steady of paychecks. (I’m doing well enough now that I could just be a writer, but I happen to love my day job, so I plan on doing it for probably another year). You’ve got to earn back the advance and even then you only get paid every six months. Variant is Rob’s first book on the national market. He had a ways to go before he would be able to quit the day job, but his illness totally wrecked that plan.


So I want to book bomb the HELL out of Variant. I want to shove that thing up the bestseller lists on Amazon and I want to give my friend a hand.


What is a book bomb? Well, Amazon has its own bestseller list. It is calculated hourly and you are given a sales rank based up on how you stack up against the other six million books on there. It is some sort of strange rolling average algorhythm, but what it comes down to is, the more books that are purchased during that particular time frame, the higher you rank. The higher you rank, the more of their top 50 or top 10 lists you show up on. The more of those you show up on, the higher you go, the more attention you get, the more books you sell.


By getting as many people as possible to purchase the book on a single day, it really kicks a book up the rankings."

Variant would make a great Christmas gift for the YA readers in your life. My son will find one under the tree this year. (It's a good thing he doesn't take the time to read my blog).


Amazon link to Variant: http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=monshuntnati-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0062026089&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

A New Normal

Most summers my children entertain themselves by swimming, reading, and hanging out with friends. That still happened this year, but I found myself putting my own projects aside to spend more time with the kids. I knew that our household would change in September when my oldest daughter left home to go to university and I wanted to enjoy having them all together.

Many of my summer hours were taken up with getting her ready to move several hours away from home. I spent time sewing new dresses for both my girls and catching up on a few other projects. I de-junked the house and my family held a successful garage sale. We spent a weekend in Montana at the water slides and came back over Logan Pass in Glacier Park. (Breathtaking view. Breath-holding drive. The Going-to-the-Sun highway consists of a very narrow, winding road with no shoulder and sheer drops.) What I enjoyed the most this summer was the many hours I spent just talking to my daughter.

I'm excited she is at school and having new adventures, but there is a definite empty spot in our home. I can't imagine how my own mother sent me to university back in the days when phone calls were expensive, text was in a book or newspaper, and the internet was in its infancy. I'm so grateful for email and skype. My daughter and I talk several times a week, and my two younger kids can talk to her whenever they see she is on the computer. I miss her, but I'm so excited to hear all the things she is learning and discovering.

We are finally settling into a new normal at home. The chores have been redivided and I'm learning to cook a little less oatmeal in the morning. I'm still on the sub list at the school and I've taken on four sewing students. But even with all the emotional upheaval and changes, there are stories percolating in my mind. My fingers are itching to get back to the computer and see what adventures I find.

Monarch Winner

The winner is:

NAT

Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle (Contest Too)

"Nick’s life as a CIA spy should be fulfilling, but it has only given him unhappiness — a wife who committed suicide and two daughters who resent everything he has become. Now, stuck in the Amazon on the last mission of his career, he must track down Matheus Ferreira, a drug lord and terrorist the U.S. has tried to bring down for years. If he succeeds, he’ll have the chance to start his life over again.

Just when he’s on the brink of catching Ferreira, he’s framed for a murder that turns his world upside down. His only chance of survival lies in West Virginia where Lilian Love, a woman from his past, owns the secluded Monarch Inn. He’s safe, but not for long …" (from the back of the book)

This book was a refreshing change for me. I've been reading a lot of YA and enjoying it, but my first love is suspense so I was excited to receive this book to review. The first sentence drew me in and I found myself speculating from page one who the "bad" guy would end up being. Michelle Davidson Argyle definitely keeps the reader guessing about what will happen next and how it will all come together in the final chapter. I'm excited to read Michelle's next book which will be released Fall 2012.

Michelle is a mother, artist, and writer who lives in the Rocky Mountains with her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She writes contemporary, literary, and fantasy fiction. Michelle believes imagination is the only rule in fiction. This is the foundation of her writing, and she plans to strengthen it with each and every story she writes. You can learn more about Michelle and her books here.

You can win your own copy of Michelle's book. All you have to do is leave a comment here and I'll enter you in the draw. Become a follower and you'll get two entries. You have until Sept. 15 to enter your comment. Please remember to leave a way that I can contact you. Good luck!

And the Winner Is. . .

The Double Deceit blog tour has come to a close. Thank you for all your support. The grand prize package includes each of my books, a beaded bookmark, and of course chocolate.

The winner of the Grand Prize package is. . .

Anna Maria Junus

Congratulations! 

Week Two Winner/Week Three Prize

The winner of the week two prize is:

Vivien

Congratulations!

The prize for week three is a $20 Amazon gift card. Remember you can enter by leaving a comment here or by leaving a comment on any of the blog tour's participants. Good luck!

August 15 - Maria Hoagland 

August 16 - Heather Gardner  

August 17 - Rachelle Christensen
August 18 - Jane Still
August 19 - Deborah Davis
August 22 - Renae Mackley 
August 23 -  Cindy Hogan
August 24 - Matthew Tandy 

August 25 - Taffy Lovell
August 26 - Kathy Habel 
August 29 - Don Carey
August 30 - Teri Rodeman 
August 31 - Cathy Witbeck
Sept. 1 - Shelly Seele 

Sept. 2 - Tristi Pinkston

Awesome August Blog Hop

Welcome to the Awesome August Blog Hop, where bloggers from all over the Internet have come together to throw a summertime party!

Every blog on this hop is offering a fun prize, and entering is quick and easy. Simply follow the instructions on each blog, leave a comment, and bop right along to the next blog. You can win multiple times, so be sure to check out all the participating blogs!

On my blog, you can win a $15 Amazon gift card.

To enter:

1. Become a follower of my blog.

2. Answer the question "Why do you like to read?" on your blog or in my comment section.

3. Leave me a comment and tell me that you've done both things. If your e-mail isn't available through your profile, I'll need you to leave that, too - I can't tell you if you've won if I can't contact you!

This blog hop runs through Wednesday night at midnight, so be sure to enter before then! The winner will be notified by e-mail.

Now that you've entered my contest, come meet all my other blog friends and see what fun things they are offering!



Awesome August Blog Hop Participants

1. Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author 2. Karen Hoover 3. Michael Young 4. Kristy Tate 5. cindy Hogan 6. Julie Bellon 7. Margot Hovley 8. Laurie Lewis 9. Mandi Slack 10. Melanie Jacobson 11. Joyce DiPastena 12. Renae Mackley

13. Debbi Weitzell 14. Donna Hatch 15. Carolyn Frank 16. Marsha Ward 17. Stacy Coles 18. Bonnie Harris 19. Danyelle Ferguson aka Queen of the Clan 20. Diony George 21. Lisa Asanuma 22. Susan Dayley 23. Christine Bryant @ Day Dreamer 24. Stephanie Humphreys

25. Ranee` Clark 26. Tamera Westhoff 27. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer 28. Heather Justesen 29. Rebecca Talley 30. Jennifer Hurst 31. Aimee Brown 32. Cheryl Christensen 33. Rachelle Christensen 34. Imaginary Reads 35. Andrea Pearson

Learn more about Awesome August Blog Hop here.
View More Awesome August Blog Hop Participants
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