International Christian Fiction - New Releases | May 2018 #giveaway

Solo Tu: Only You (A Tuscan Legacy Book 7) by Narelle Atkins 

Home means everything to Sienna Rossi.

Four years ago, Sienna defied her father by moving to Australia to obtain her teaching qualifications. Her grand plan is shaken by her father's unexpected death and a trip back to Tuscany for her grandmother's eightieth birthday where she renews her close bond with her sister, Alessa.

Teacher Dave Maxwell likes the freedom of his nomadic lifestyle. He works contract-to-contract, moving to different high schools around Australia. He's in Sydney for a season, caring for his grandma while his aunt is on an extended overseas vacation.

Back in Sydney, Sienna moves in with her Aussie cousins and starts her first teaching job, torn between her dream for a future in Australia and her longing for home. Sienna and Dave work at the same school, attend the same church, and quickly become friends. They are drawn together by circumstances and an undeniable attraction.

But their idyllic time together is temporary. Can the girl from Tuscany and the boy from Australia risk everything for love?

Giveaway

Narelle Atkins is giving away a print copy of Solo Tu. The giveaway is open to international entrants with a mailing address where Amazon USA delivers.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post and/or Narelle's Bookish Tuesday post on May 29. Receive two entries in the drawing by commenting on both posts.

Check out Narelle's post on Tuesday May 29 for more information on the giveaway that will close on Tuesday June 5, 2018.

Available at Amazon.com

Harvest of Love: Garden Grown Romance Book Three (Arcadia Valley Romance 17) by Valerie Comer

Hot on the heels of a failed relationship, Kenia Akers focuses on her bookstore along with granting her aging grandfather’s desperate desire to get his hands in the dirt through a program at Grace Greenhouse. Reminding herself she’s on the rebound isn’t enough to keep her from falling for the hunky activities coordinator from Granddad’s facility.

Zane Russell is amazed that the fun-loving, pretty bookstore owner is attracted to him, a guy who’s not even in her league. As their relationship deepens, he avoids explaining why he seems allergic to books. Admitting his failures has never been a good move in the past.

Will they find a way to let openness, trust, and acceptance blossom into a harvest of love?

Available at Amazon.com

Digging up Secrets by Sandra Orchard (Victorian Mansion Flower Shop Mysteries)

Nothing is coming up roses for Kaylee Bleu. Not only are all of the plants in her flower shop going thirsty because of a busted well pump, but a competing florist of Orcas Island is stealing customers from The Flower Patch. As if that wasn’t enough to turn her into Florist Grump, a new client who could be Kaylee’s golden ticket to the lucrative country club set is also her most persnickety yet–and continuously threatens to take her business elsewhere.

But all of that seems like no big deal when Kaylee’s plumber discovers a fractured skull in her shop’s yard. The remains belong to Danny Lane, a troubled teenager accused of killing a high school girl in a boating accident thirty-five years ago. The consensus around Turtle Cove was that the boy fled town shortly after the accident, but Kaylee thinks the holes in that story are as big as the grave-size pit dug up around her well pump.

Unfortunately, somebody on Orcas Island wants Kaylee to leave the past buried. At first, she refuses to be intimidated by menacing messages and frightful pranks. But when suspicious accidents begin to befall witnesses close to the cold case, Kaylee’s seeds of doubt blossom into dread. She must decide how deep she’s willing to dig to determine if Danny’s death was an accident . . . or murder.

Available via subscription to the series at Annie's Attic

Rapsodia: Rhapsody (A Tuscan Legacy Book 3) by Alexa Verde

A risk taker with a crushed spirit and a control-addicted businessman with a crushed heart... Can they surrender themselves to God's healing love?

After the woman he loved left him for a richer guy, Marco Carter turned all his passion toward the chain of pizzerias he founded. He can control his business, unlike love. Then his world is turned upside down. He meets Samantha Jenkins on his flight home to Texas after his grandmother's eightieth birthday. Many hours with the guarded but beautiful Samantha has him questioning his career-centered mindset.

A born risk taker and fiercely independent, Samantha misses her former life as a travel photographer and extreme sports aficionado. But more than anything, she grieves her fiancé. On her trip from Italy on the anniversary of his tragic passing, the last thing she expects is to become drawn to her neighbor on her flight. Deep inside, she still blames herself for her fiancé's death...

Though Marco is determined to forget Samantha, the arrival of a mysterious painting reminds him of all that is missing in his life. Hoping for a new chance with her, Marco opens a pizzeria in Samantha's hometown in south Texas. Spending time with her, he's learning to surrender control to the Lord. But apparently it's easier to earn millions than to make Samantha open her heart again. What will it take for her to heal enough to trust in God and take the biggest risk of all-to love again?

Available at Amazon.com

Ti Amo: I Love You (A Tuscan Legacy Book 4) by Marion Ueckermann

She never wants to get married. He does. To her.

The day Alessandra Rossi was born, her mammà died, and a loveless life with the father who blamed the newborn for her mother's death followed. With the help of her oldest brother, Rafaele, Alessa moved away from home the moment she finished school--just like her other siblings had. Now sporting a degree in architectural history and archaeology, Alessa loves her job as a tour guide in the city of Rome--a place where she never fails to draw the attention of men. Not that Alessa cares. Fearing that the man she weds would be anything like her recently deceased father has Alessa vowing to remain single.

American missionary Michael Young has moved to Rome on a two-year mission trip. His temporary future in the country doesn't stop him from spontaneously joining Alessa's tour after spotting her outside the Colosseum. And being bold enough to tell her afterward that one day she'd be his wife. God had told him. And he believed Him. But Alessa shows no sign of interest in Michael.

Can anything sway the beautiful and headstrong Italian to fall in love? Can anyone convince her to put her faith and hope in the Heavenly Father, despite being raised by an earthly one who never loved her? Will her sister's prompting, or a mysterious painting, or Michael himself change Alessa's mind? About love. And about God.

Available at Amazon.com

La Fiamma Sacra: The Sacred Flame (A Tuscan Legacy Book 5) by Clare Revell

Forged in love's sacred flame, can a firefighter and a widow find the path God set for them?

Ric Rossi left the family farm in Tuscany and never looked back. Working as a firefighter in Reading, England, he has everything a man could ask for—a secure job, a firm faith, and a neighbour who cares for his cat Noci when he goes away. The only thing missing is a woman he can share his life with.

Widowed when her son Deforest was a week old, Bracken Hughes isn’t prepared to open herself to the heartache a relationship can bring. Especially with her handsome neighbour who risks his life each time he leaves for work. No matter how good the man is with her son.

Ric finds Deforest to be an appealing child who captures his interest. And the mother has that certain something that pricks his heart. But the unhealed wound in Ric's soul might just spoil any chance he has at love.

Available at Amazon.com

Bella Notte: Beautiful Night (A Tuscan Legacy Book 6) by Heather Gray

He likes to play the field. She's content to wear her goody two shoes.

Piero Carter packs light and travels often. He loves adventure and manages to keep his life simple by sticking to a two-dates-only rule. The longest relationship he's had -- aside from family -- is with his camera. As a photographer who works primarily with fashion, he's used to having his pick of beautiful women who want to be seen by his side.

Felicity von Wolff is a makeup artist whose job takes her around the world. That's all the adventure she craves. She has little use for Piero the Playboy. Being seen on his arm means getting tied to his reputation, and that's the last thing she wants. Yet, somehow, they keep getting thrown together. What's a girl to do?

Piero finally meets a woman who makes him want more than two dates, but does that mean he's ready for one of life's greatest adventures -- falling in love? When Felicity peeks over the wall she's built, she discovers there's more to the people around her than she ever realized. What will it take for Piero and Felicity to stop hiding from life and open their eyes to the rich beauty God has in store for them?

Available at Amazon.com

The 49th Mystic by Ted Dekker

Some say the great mystery of how one can live in two worlds at once died with Thomas Hunter many years ago. Still others that the gateway to that greater reality was and is only the stuff of dreams.

They are wrong. In the small town of Eden, Utah, a blind girl named Rachelle Matthews is about to find out just how wrong.

When a procedure meant to restore Rachelle's sight goes awry, she begins to dream of another world so real that she wonders if Earth might only be a dream experienced when she falls asleep in that reality. Who is a simple blind girl to have such strange and fantastic dreams?

She's the prophesied one who must find and recover five ancient seals--in both worlds--before powerful enemies destroy her. If Rachelle succeeds in her quest, peace will reign. If she fails, both worlds will forever be locked in darkness.

So begins a two-volume saga of high stakes and a mind-bending quest to find an ancient path that will save humanity. The clock is ticking; the end rushes forward.

Ready? Set?

Dream.

Available from Amazon.com

Becoming the Talbot Sisters by Rachel Linden

Twin sisters Waverly and Charlie Talbot have drifted far apart as they pursue opposite dreams of stardom and service to the poor. On an astonishing journey across Central Europe, they must come together to face their fears, find their courage and fight for what they love.

Celebrity chef Waverly Ross has built a successful career with her home-entertaining show Simply Perfect. Yet she and her husband, Andrew, have never been able to realize the true desire of Waverly’s heart: to become a mother. Meanwhile Waverly’s twin sister, Charlie Talbot, buries her bitter disappointment and shattered idealism beneath a life spent serving others as an international aid worked in Budapest, Hungary.

When the beloved aunt who raised them passes away, Waverly and Charlie come together in their grief after living years on separate continents. Struck by a fierce desire to bridge the distance between them, Charlie offers Waverly and her husband the selfless gift of surrogacy.

But soon the sisters find they are each in danger of losing their jobs, seemingly putting their dreams on hold once again. When Waverly shows up unannounced in Budapest with a plan to rescue Simply Perfect, the sisters embark on an adventure across Central Europe that could save them both from occupational hazards. Though the twins haven’t had to rely on each other since childhood, an unforeseen dangerous turn in their journey across Europe forces them to stand together to save their careers, the baby, and each other.

Available from Amazon.com

No Less Days by Amanda G. Stevens

David Galloway can’t die.

How many lifetimes can God expect one man to live? Over a century old, David Galloway isolates himself from the mortal humans who die or desert him by making a quiet life as a used bookstore owner in Northern Michigan. But then he spots a news article about a man who, like him, should be dead.

Daredevil celebrity Zachary Wilson walked away unscathed from what should have been a deadly fall. David tracks the man down, needing answers. Soon David discovers a close-knit group of individuals as old as he is who offer the sort of kinship and community he hasn’t experienced for decades—but at what cost?

David finds himself keeping secrets other than his own. . .protecting more than himself alone. He’ll have to decide what’s worth the most to him—security or community. When crimes come to light that are older than any mortal, he fears the pressure is more than he can stand. What does God require of him, and is David strong enough to see it through?

Available from Amazon.com

Author Newsletters — Part 4: Tracking Statistics

By Valerie Comer

Welcome to the final section in my series on author newsletters. We’ve already talked about Getting Started, Finding Subscribers, and Choosing Content. So now you have a newsletter set up, you’ve attracted some subscribers, and sent out a few emails.

Is it worth the effort? Are you doing it “right” or are you missing the target?

Let’s go back to an early question: why have an author newsletter? My answer: to turn leads into fans who will buy my books. It wasn’t because I was bored and needed more on my to-do list!

As Randy Ingermanson puts it: Any working marketing strategy needs to achieve three things. If you do all three of these things well, you succeed. If you fail on any one of these three things, you fail. The three phases of marketing are 1) attract, 2) engage, and 3) convert.

In the earlier parts of the series, we focused on attraction and engagement. Let’s turn to conversion. How do I know if my emails are converting? I can look at the end result. Do book sales or pre-orders take a jump commensurate with the number of subscribers in the hours/days following an email? While no one is going to sell a book to every subscriber, there are ways to gauge where in the system things are going awry.

Different service providers show statistics in different ways. Mailerlite gives me the following data after each campaign:

1. Open Rates

The stats show how many emails were actually sent and how many recipients opened them. Mailerlite gives this as a percentage and an actual number both. You’ll never get to 100% opens. For authors, anything between 40 and 60% is average. My goal, which I haven’t achieved, is 80%.

Please note that the stats shown in your dashboard are not accurate. Many readers read the entire email in a preview pane, which won’t register as an open. Gmail also admits to not supplying accurate stats, so don’t go on a purge to delete all subscribers who haven’t opened an email! Because they might be reading every one of them.

Tip: If your open rates are low, consider the following. Is your subject line intriguing? Did you send the email at a good time of day/week?

2. Click Rates

This is a more useful metric to determine how engaged readers are. How many recipients clicked a link in your email? Side note – you DO have a link in there somewhere, right? Remember to always have a CTA (call-to-action) with a link.

A 25% click rate is considered decent. Some authors report click rates in the 60% range.

Tip: If your click rate is lower than you’d like, consider the following. Do you have so many links recipients don’t know which takes precedence? Is the link easy to find? Does it clearly show where the click will take the reader? What’s the “sales copy” leading up to the CTA? Do they know why they want to click?

3. Unsubscribe Rates

You’ll see how many recipients unsubscribed (percentage and actual number). Don’t sweat these people unless the number is higher than 3%. People join lists and leave them for all kinds of reasons. If they want to leave, that’s great. They’re not your target audience, and you don’t want to pay to keep them.

Tip: If your unsubscribe rates seem high, consider the following. Are your emails what you promised to send in content, frequency, etc, from the signup page? Did you participate in multi-author list building promotions that were not well-targeted to your writing (eg: a secular promotion for books that are explicitly Christian)?

4. Spam Complaints

This is also given as a percentage and as an actual number. If the number is very low, don’t sweat it.

Tip: If your spam complaint rates seem high, consider the following. How easy is it to find your unsubscribe button? Are you sending emails with words that might automatically be filtered to spam? Click for an exhaustive list of possible spam triggers.

5. Bounce Rates

Mailerlite defines bounces like this: A soft bounce is an email message that gets as far as the recipient’s mail server (it recognizes the address) but is bounced back undelivered before it gets to the intended recipient. A soft bounce might occur because the recipient’s mailbox is full, the server is down or swamped with messages, or the message is too large.

A hard bounce is an email message that has been returned to the sender and is permanently undeliverable. Causes include invalid addresses (domain name doesn’t exist, typos, changed address, etc.) or the email recipient’s mail server has blocked your server. Repeated soft bounces to the same email address can result in it becoming classed as a hard bounce.

6. Reading Environment

This one is informational only, showing you the percentage of opens on webmail, mobile, or desktop mail clients. However, mobile is a growing percentage, so consider how your email looks on your phone and tablet occasionally.

7. Top Email Clients

Also information only, this offers the percentage of readers who use certain email providers (gmail, etc) as well as their internet browser of choice.

8. Link Activity

This section of the report lists every link in your email, including social media and unsubscribe links from your footer, and shows you both the unique clicks and total clicks on each one. Unique clicks are more useful, but I’m always interested to see the difference between the two numbers. I understand that people might click on the link in mobile, then return on their computer to click it again to actually buy in an environment they prefer.

So there you have it! The ins and outs of author newsletter in four parts. Feel free to ask any questions that may have come up while reading any of these posts, but please comment on this post.

Here are the links to the other posts in this series:
• Part 1: Getting Started
• Part 2: Finding Subscribers
• Part 3: Choosing Content

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She writes engaging characters, strong communities, and deep faith as she injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Visit her at ValerieComer.com.

Author Newsletters — Part 3: Choosing Content

By Valerie Comer

Welcome back for Part 3 of my Author Newsletter series. We’ve already talked about Getting Started and Finding Subscribers. Today we’re going to dig right into the nuts and bolts of newsletter content.

1. What Do I Say?

• Choose a main topic/goal for every email. This keeps each letter shorter and more focused. If there is one clear call-to-action, you are more likely to see measurable results than if you casually mention ten things without giving clear links. This might mean sending shorter emails more often. I’ve experimented with this through 2017, and found it worked well. I focus my mid-month email on the newest release from my multi-author Arcadia Valley Romance series, and my late-month email on what’s new in my own writing. No one has complained of hearing from me too much.

• Choose your subject line carefully. Words like ‘free’ and ‘sale’ can trigger spam filters, so avoid them if you can. Make your subject line fairly brief yet compelling. This is an art in itself. Look carefully at author newsletters you’ve subscribed to. Which headlines make you want to click? Which are easier to ignore?

• Choose your pronouns. Instead of “I’m sure you’re excited about my new book!” try “Are you excited about the next book in the Christmas in Montana Romance series?” Keep “I” and “me” and “my” out as much as you can, especially in the first few paragraphs. Sure, they signed up because they want to hear from you. Sort of. But really, they want to know what’s in it for them. Like all of humankind, they care about themselves more than they care about you, or anyone else.

• Use your own voice. That conversational tone you use while writing your novels? That’s the one your readers want more of. If your author voice is very formal (for historical novels or nonfiction, maybe) then mimic it for your letters, too. Make sure there isn’t a disconnect between the two sides of you.

• Use a simple, single-column template. In Part 4, we’ll talk more about analyzing your stats, but for now, know that roughly half your subscribers are reading on mobile devices. If you’re curious what your emails look like that way, open one of yours on your phone. It can be quite eye-opening… or eye-crossing.

• Break up your email visually. Use images. Add your book covers when it’s a new release or sale. (Tip: you can make them clickable on any service provider.) Add a meme sometimes. Help readers scan by using headers, bold, and/or colors. The main font should be simple, black, and larger than you think. Remember the mobile devices!

• Include clear pre-order and/or purchase links. Your fans subscribed because they want to know about your books. Don't make them hunt for this information. Mailerlite has customizable buttons for calls-to-action. “Click here to buy Better Than a Crown” was on a recent button.

Still unsure what, exactly, to write about if you don’t have a book release every month? Here are some ideas. You can choose several and rotate between them, even.

• A devotional
• A recipe
• An interview with another author in your genre
• A book giveaway (yours or someone else's)
• Book cover reveals
• Invitations to Facebook launch parties
• Requests for input, like naming a character’s pet
• Excerpts of your current WIP
• Research tidbits
• Events
• News

I’m sure you can think of even more topics!

2. How often do I send?

Not so often that it feels like spam, but not so rarely they forget who you are. Quarterly is good if you are traditionally published or don't have a lot going on. I increased mine to monthly when I went indie, as suddenly I had a lot more to talk about! And, when the Arcadia Valley Romances began releasing in January, I went to semi-monthly with no complaints.

3. Can I run contests?

Yes, you can, but be careful! Legally, you cannot require a purchase to enter a contest. You also cannot use reviews as a contest entry, as rewarding reviewers in any way is against Amazon’s TOS. When giving away a book about a blueberry farmer, I invited subscribers to “hit reply and let me know your favorite way to eat blueberries.” (In muffins… no surprise there!)

Tip: Find a few bestselling authors in your genre, and subscribe to their lists. Pay attention to the content, the frequency, etc. Do you see value in these emails? What could you do better for your readers? Feel free to unsubscribe once you've learned from them. No one will mind.

I hope this gives you some ideas of what to write in your newsletter. What ideas can you come up with for content? Any questions about today's topic?

This is the third in a four-part series on author newsletters that I’ll post in 2017. Click for Part 1 (Getting Started) and Part 2 (Finding Subscribers). In the final episode, I’ll cover how to track your statistics.

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She writes engaging characters, strong communities, and deep faith into her green clean romances. Visit her at ValerieComer.com.

This Offer Is Open To…

Posted by Valerie Comer

Ever get tired of reading the following disclaimer? “This offer is open to residents of the continental USA only.”

Yes, the publishing world revolves around the United States of America, and most of our books, both digital and paperback, are sold to American readers. But, as international authors, don’t we wish to reach out to readers in other countries? Don’t we wish we could include them in giveaways, too? Readers of International Christian Fiction Writers, don’t you want to be included?

Authors, if you’ve given away paperbacks and mailed them internationally, you already know what a hit that can take to your bank balance. I live in British Columbia, Canada, and once mailed a signed paperback to Ontario. The cheapest postage still came in at a higher cost than the retail price of the paperback! Ouch! I can’t afford to do that very often.

But it still bugs me when I don’t qualify for a giveaway because of where I live — even though I totally get it — and it still bugs me when I have to limit one of my own giveaways by geography.

So I’m delighted to announce that Inspy Romance, a website dedicated to Christian contemporary romance, is offering an international paperback giveaway this summer, along with a group of paperback bundles slated for USA delivery.

We ran this international giveaway in our February Birthday Bash, and found not many of our commenters admitted to living outside the USA. So… if you’re a reader of Christian contemporary romance (and aren’t one of the Inspy Romance blogging authors), please swing by Inspy Romance and comment as many times as you’d like between now and September 11, 2017. Please give your country of residence in your comment(s). And let your friends and neighbors know!

How are we able to offer an international paperback giveaway? By utilizing the Book Depository to send out the winner’s books. (In 2013, I posted about how Book Depository works.) However, if we can’t grow our international readership, we won’t be able to continue offering this particular giveaway.

What’s included in this bundle? Four paperbacks and four e-books.

Paperback books:
o The Soldier’s Secret Child by Lee Tobin McClain
o Muffins and Moonbeams by Elizabeth Maddrey
o An Informal Introduction by Heather Gray
o Sprouts of Love by Valerie Comer

E-books:
o His Father’s Son by Autumn Macarthur
o A Love Song for Kayla by Kimberly Rose Johnson
o Calming the Storm by Melanie D. Snitker
o Love’s Choice by Ginger Solomon

Enter early. Enter often. And help us spread the word!

Psst, American readers of ICFW: you’re welcome to come on by and enter, as well! We’re always happy to have new readers join the community at Inspy Romance.

Full details and a complete list of prizes can be found here.

Author Newsletters — Part 2: Finding Subscribers

By Valerie Comer

Back in April, I posted Author Newsletters — Part 1: Getting Started, in which I discussed when, how, and where to begin an author newsletter. But what’s the good of investing the time to get something rolling just for your three email addresses and your mom, right? You want subscribers, and you’ve basically got three places to find them.

1. Turning friends and family into fans

At first, your subscribers will come from people you know. Just this one time, send a personalized email to many or most of your email contacts. Give them a brief update on your writing progress, and let them know you’ve set up a newsletter. Tell them you will not harass them, so this is the only time you'll ask them personally. Then, of course, give them the link! It may take the better part of a day or two to email your friends, family, and acquaintances. It is time well spent. You’re touching base, you’re being respectful, and you’re offering them something of value.

Passive ways to encourage signups include adding the link to
• your email signature
• your social media accounts

2. Turning readers into fans

In my opinion, the best source of new subscribers is from those who are reading your books now. When they get to the end of their current read (your book!) and breathe a happy sigh, reluctant to part with your characters, what would you like them to do?

• Buy the next book in the series if it’s available
• Subscribe to your list so they’ll know when the next book releases

How do you get them to do that? Simply invite them. For the next book, I usually offer the first chapter (even if it’s all I have written yet) after the final chapter of the current book, with a link at the end of the excerpt: Buy 'this book’ here. It’s a retail link if the book is available and a link to the book’s page on my website if it isn’t. If there are no retail links yet, the book page invites readers to join my email list to find out when ‘this book’ releases.

The subscription link at the end of my book is simply a more direct link to the email signup!

But here’s a good question: why would a total stranger sign up for your newsletter?

You offer a reader magnet (aka a lead magnet). It’s just what it sounds like: an offer so good it’s like their finger is drawn to the link magnetically. They can’t possibly resist clicking that link or button.

In practical terms, a reader magnet is something you offer your new subscribers in exchange for their email address. It incentivizes them to move from being a casual reader to a subscriber. In my case, I offer a 7500-word short story that takes place at 2.5 in my six-book Farm Fresh Romance series.

This short story was directly responsible for about 3,000 new subscribers in just under one year. It took me a week to write, and a small amount of money to have edited. My designer created a simple cover for it — one that doesn’t need to look competitive on retail sites since it will never be for sale. Readers click to receive this story every day, so the minimal effort has been well worth it.

Whatever you write, that’s what readers will want more of in your reader magnet. Here are some ideas:

• A report on something related to your topic (nonfiction or fiction)
• A full-length book that is also for sale (nonfiction or fiction)
• A short story linked to your novels (fiction)
• A case study or character interviews (fiction)
• A world history (fantasy/scifi)
• Exclusive audio or video content
• Other? This is only limited by your genre and your imagination!

If you start offering Kindles or other non-book prizes, you might find yourself with subscribers who are there for the prize, not because they care about your work. So, I recommend aligning any incentives very closely with your own content.

Make it worthwhile to be on your list. Promise them exclusive content or sneak previews or giveaways or other opportunities, and then follow through.

You can deliver this bonus material several ways:

• Most email marketing service providers allow you to upload content for subscribers to download
• Host the material on your own site and offer the link in your welcome letter
• Use a service such as BookFunnel or Instafreebie

Personally, I’m a huge fan of BookFunnel. There’s a monthly (or annual) fee, but they offer terrific support to both authors and readers. I upload both an epub and a mobi file, and BF walks people through how to download the correct file onto their preferred device.

3. Turning strangers into fans

Turning friends, family, and readers into fans probably won’t cost you anything beyond the basic service fee at your mailing list provider. But what if you want to grow your list more quickly? Before you jump on the bandwagon — or pooh-pooh the idea — here are some considerations.

• How much is a subscriber worth?
• How many books do you have out?
• How many will you have in the next year?
• How much do you earn per book sale?
• What if you paid two dollars to gain that subscriber, they bought one more book of yours, and you made that two dollars back?

If you think you might be interested in paying for growth, there are a variety of places you can pay for additional exposure.

• Facebook lead generation ads
• Twitter lead pages
• Ryan Zee, LitRing, and other list-building promotions
• BookFunnel
• Instafreebie

I haven’t tried social media advertising ads for lead generation yet, though I plan to run some this summer. I have participated in two Ryan Zee promotions so far. He invites 25+ authors, usually in close genre, to pay $60US (prices may vary) and offer several e-books to the winners. He adds a Kindle, creates graphics, and runs the promotion, asking everyone to share. Each person who signs into his ‘booksweeps’ gets added to all participating author newsletters… there is full disclosure. I expected to find these subscribers cooler, but the unsubscribe rate has been low while open rates and click rates (more on stats in the fourth post on author newsletters) have been similar to my organic lists.

BookFunnel offers a DIY group promotion page. Seventeen Christian Contemporary Romance authors joined together in April for a promo event that was considerably cheaper than Ryan Zee. We all promoted the event. Curious readers could click individual book covers and choose to get the book free by subscribing to that author’s newsletter, so the results were more targeted. It was a great experience, with over 500 new email addresses added for pennies each.

I haven’t ever used LitRing or Instafreebie, but mention them because they are popular and may be methods you’d like to look into. Of course, there are more options, too.

Note: If you have signup sheets out at events, either keep an iPad open to your subscription page so they can sign up themselves, or keep the dated documentation to prove that person specifically asked to join the list. You don’t want to be accused of spam!

I hope this gives you some ideas of how to find subscribers for your newsletter. What ideas can you come up with to offer as reader magnets? Any questions about finding subscribers?

This is the second in a four-part series on author newsletters that I’ll post in 2017. Find Part 1 (Getting Started) here. In later episodes, I’ll cover how to choose content and how to track your statistics.

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She writes engaging characters, strong communities, and deep faith as she injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Visit her at ValerieComer.com.

Everything is Fodder — even Cabbages!

Sometimes it may seem as though I am randomly surfing. Okay, I probably am randomly surfing! I scroll down my Facebook newsfeed and sometimes a video or an article catches my eye. Please tell me this happens to you as well!

I can’t even tell you when it was that an article about a girl named Katie came to my attention. It could’ve been four or five years ago. This nine-year-old girl in Memphis was part of a class project where they planted seeds, took them home, and planted them. Katie grew a cabbage that was over forty pounds! Can you just imagine!

This young girl took her cabbage to a homeless shelter in Memphis. If I’m remembering correctly, the workers made cabbage rolls out of it. This one cabbage impacted Katie’s life and gave her a passion for people in need. She began to plant gardens and grow vegetables for soup kitchens… and mobilized other children to do so, as well.

A year ago, I was looking for inspiration for my part in a multi-author series. Each of the six authors came up with premise for a mini-series with in the grander scope of the overarching Arcadia Valley Romance series. This memory of young Katie drifted into my mind and lodged. What if a girl about Katie’s age came across a pair of abandoned greenhouses? What if she somehow was able to spearhead the program and get a bunch of grownups onboard? What if the project came complete with funding?

In that moment, Maisie Felton was born. Though I pretended she had been a friend of Katie’s back in Memphis, the reality of the timeline doesn’t match. In the first installment of my series, the elderly man who formerly owned Akers Garden Center offers his property to Grace Fellowship in a living trust. His grandson Grady helps direct the real estate consultant tasked with finding a use for the derelict greenhouses. It isn’t until Maisie stops by on her bicycle and sows the idea does this story really get going. (Spoiler alert: they fall in love!)

That story, Sow in Love, released in January as part of Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley. Sprouts of Love, my first full-length novel in this series, releases today. It’s the story of Maisie’s mom, who became the director of the Grace Greenhouse project, and Ben Kujak, the manager of the soup kitchen in Arcadia Valley.

Little did I know when I first saw Katie’s story that it would be the inspiration and foundation for an entire series of romance stories!

About Sprouts of Love:

Single mom Evelyn Felton takes on a third part-time job managing a greenhouse and garden project for Grace Fellowship. Formerly homeless, she’s thrilled to offer truckloads of fresh produce to the Arcadia Valley food bank.

If only Ben Kujak weren’t running Corinna’s Cupboard single-handedly, he’d be delighted to be on the receiving end. But Evelyn and her dynamo daughter, Maisie, won’t take no for an answer, even if it means restructuring Ben’s charity.

Soon Ben finds himself wishing they’d transform his personal life, too, but can true love sprout when their pasts collide with the present?

Sprouts of Love is available for Kindle, Kobo, Nook, and iBooks and will soon be available worldwide in paperback. Click here for more information and buy links.

Tell me about a random news item or article you’ve read that offered inspiration for a story you’ve written!

Interested in reading Sprouts of Love? I'm offering one reader a copy (e-book only, worldwide). If you'd like to put your name in the hat, please add your email address with your comment before Monday, May 21, 2017, replacing @ with (at) and .com with (dot) com.

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She writes engaging characters, strong communities, and deep faith as she injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Visit her at ValerieComer.com.

Author Newsletters — Part 1: Getting Started

Do you have an author newsletter? Why or why not?

I’ve heard the “why nots.” Here’s a sample list:
• It takes too much time.
• It costs money.
• Fans already hear from me on social media.
• My sales are already good.
• It’s wrong to toot my own horn.
• I’ve heard I have to put my physical mailing address on it.

May I suggest you turn those around?
• It’s a better use of your time to keep a fan than to find a new one.
• Marketing costs money, but there are free/inexpensive options.
• All social media limits your reach — pay if you want to be seen there.
• Your sales could be better!
• Are you hiding your talent in your sock drawer? See the parable of the talents!
• Yes, sadly, this is true. But it doesn’t have to be in detail.

Six years ago I signed a contract with Barbour Publishing for a novella. I was so excited and told everyone! Dozens said to me, “Let me know when and where I can buy it!” My reply? “Oh, there’s no danger of you not hearing about it. It will be all over my blog and Facebook and Twitter.” And some of these people said to me, “Oh, I don’t go there.”

Until then, I thought email lists were for the big names who had fans clamoring for their next book. But that’s when I realized mailing lists were for every author, because an email in a fan’s inbox was much harder to miss than an announcement on social media, even in the days of organic reach.

Convinced? Let’s get started.

1. When should you start?

Today. If you’re already published and don’t have a list, get started! If you’re planning a career but don’t have a book out yet, get started! Even if it consists of you, your two alternate email addresses, and your mom for now, slide the puzzle piece in place and get familiar with how to use it.

2. Why not just send personal emails or BCC emails?

Have you ever gotten an email from that one author who assumes you want to hear from him or her, but you don’t? And then a few weeks later, again? You didn’t ask to be on this list, and you see no way to get off it short of hitting reply and saying so, but that seems rude.

Don’t be that author. It’s more than rude. It’s illegal.

Ever heard of the can-spam law? The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act became law in the USA in 2003 to protect the public’s inboxes from unsolicited email marketing. A similar act was introduced in Canada in 2014, and other countries either have legislation or will likely soon pursue it.

This means it is illegal to send bulk email from your personal email address, whether it is Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, or your site email. You are required by law to provide a disclosure, your mailing address, and an unsubscribe link.

3. How do you choose an email marketing service provider?

There are so many options it’s mindboggling: Mailchimp, Mailerlite, Mad Mimi, Get Response, Aweber, Vertical Response, Constant Contact, Convert Kit, Infusion Soft, YMLP, My Author Biz, Sendinblue, Sendy, and probably others. Have a good look at what several of them offer before making a decision. Prices and customization vary wildly.

Some considerations: Cost. Auto-responder sequences. Ease of customization. Ease of navigation. Reports and statistics. List management or segmentation. Attractive templates. Searchable contact list. Automatic removal of duplicates. A/B split testing.

Many authors open an account with Mailchimp because they offer free service for up to 2000 subscribers. Some of those authors love Mailchimp and never want to leave, while others feel trapped, believing that moving their list is too difficult or expensive. Think you won't reach that number? I went from 200 to 1,700 in 9 months, then to over 5000 in another year. You might, too. If you believe in your career, think long-term.

Mailerlite is free through 1000 subscribers and offers more bells and whistles on their free level. It is cheaper than Mailchimp above 2500 subscribers, and has a layout that I find easier to navigate.

TIP: If you think you might ever, for any reason, wish to move your list, use a landing page link wherever you post it rather than a direct link. If you have a self-hosted Wordpress website, you can use the plugin Redirection to send the subscriber directly to the hosted link. They’ll never see the detour, but you can change the redirection in five seconds should you ever need to.

4. Create an account

If you are uncomfortable having your home address posted publicly on every email, consider these options: a post office box, your place of work, your church office. Ask permission before using someone else’s address.

Choose a ‘from’ email address that is from your website rather than Gmail or Yahoo, as the free email addresses are notorious for not being delivered. I use a Yahoo address for my daily check-in, and have my site email automatically forwarded to it. I have a ‘reply-as’ set up so that replies can look as though they are sent from Valerie comer dot com rather than Yahoo.

Once you’ve filled in those areas of your account, the service providers will automatically add the info to the footer of each and every email.

5. Create a webform

A webform is the signup code that displays on your website. Keep it simple — the more fields you require, the more likely people will click away without subscribing. Email address is the only vital one. If you have the option to make the webform a bright color, go for it. You want it to stand out on your site. Bright yellow or red is good, even if it clashes with your website!

6. Place the webform on your site

Once you’ve customized your webform, you’ll have the option to capture the code for it in html and/or in Javascript. Copy and paste the provided code to:
• Top of the right-hand sidebar.
• A dedicated squeeze page.

You might also wish to consider a pop-up. I know, I know. We all hate them, but (for some unknown reason), they work!

While creating your dedicated squeeze page (aka landing page), clear all distractions from the page. The only option should be completing the form or clicking the x to close the tab. Do make it clear what you’re offering and how often they’ll hear from you.

7. Create an autoresponder

The steps depend on your chosen service provider, but all of them can be set up to automatically send an email to each new subscriber. Use it to thank them for signing up and to offer a link to your incentive (more on that in an upcoming post). Mailerlite allows you to set up multiple autoresponders, even in the free level.

8. Test your webform

Go to your website, subscribe to your newsletter, and see what happens. Is the process what you expected? If not, unsubscribe, fix the flow, and subscribe again. Repeat until you are pleased the entire process is working correctly. Now you are ready for your first subscriber!

This is the first in a four-part series on author newsletters that I’ll post randomly through 2017. We’ll also consider how to find subscribers, how to choose content, and how to track your statistics. Click here for Part 2: Finding Subscribers.

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She writes engaging characters, strong communities, and deep faith as she injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Visit her at ValerieComer.com.

When Everything Doesn’t Come Up Roses

Imagine with me. You’re sitting on a wicker bench in the garden. The sun is shining, and the temperature is just warm enough to be pleasant. Birds sing cheerfully from the trees while hummingbirds and honeybees whirr from flower to flower. The air smells sweetly of roses. You take a sip of the minty ice tea, clinking with ice cubes, from a tall glass.

This is the life.

But it never lasts, does it? There are thorns amid those roses, and one of those bees might get startled and sting you — we’ve kept bees, and this is an unlikely scenario, but work with me here! If nothing else, night will fall, a storm will come, the roses will eventually dry and die… nothing stays the same.

My writing career really took off in 2015. I felt like I was sitting in that rose garden (writing more stories, of course!) and life was wonderful. Two years later, I’m still writing, still loving that part of my life, but other parts of my journey aren’t as peaceful and sweet. Sales have drooped. It’s discouraging. What am I doing wrong? Did I mistake God’s call on my life? Does God not love me anymore?

Why do we think of the ‘rosy’ times as God smiling on us, and the more difficult times as God’s frown? If it’s all easy, we think it’s His will, and if it’s difficult, we must be off the tracks?

Uh… that’s not very biblical. Look at Joseph, sold into slavery. Look at Stephen, martyred for his faith. The Bible — and real life — are full of examples of faithful believers, God-followers, who did not live a life of ease. Many suffered great hardship. Many do today. I really have nothing at all to complain about.

And yet, I like my rose garden picture, don’t you?

Here are a few things I keep reminding myself of. If you’ve experienced this season, what would you add?

• to be open to what God is teaching me through regular quiet time.
• to be thankful God is taking care of my family’s needs.
• to remain obedient to His call.
• to trust Him to find my readers, not so I can make money, but so He can use my stories to touch lives.
• to be wise in my use of time.
• to be faithful in the little things.
• to remember that I now see ‘through a glass dimly’ while He sees the big picture.
• to believe the scripture, that He will never leave me nor forsake me.
• to write as an act of worship to Him, not for human approval.

God is good, whether the roses are blooming or not!

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She writes engaging characters, strong communities, and deep faith as she injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Visit her at ValerieComer.com.

Gateway to Arcadia Valley

by Valerie Comer

Are readers nearly box setted out? My goodness. I admit to having done my share to proliferate them (back in 2015, when they were young and fresh), but the market seems saturated. There’s no denying they’ve worked very well for authors as well as for readers. Many authors have made significant income from these sets — yes, even when the royalty from a ninety-nine-cent e-book is divided between half a dozen or more authors.

I credit my first multi-author box set with putting my Farm Fresh Romance series on the map. Readers got the first one in the set, and a decent number went on to buy the other books and join my email list. Win-win, right?

Sure. Until reader have ten more box sets on their Kindles to read as soon as this one is done! Then the read-through to additional books in the series isn’t as high, as there’s no shortage of inexpensive reading material. It takes more to jog a reader out of the box set mindset so she’ll go looking for more books by this author.

Still, I’m a big believer in working together in groups. That’s why I started Inspy Romance three years ago as a place where authors and readers of Christian contemporary romance can get to know each other. With a lot of help from my admin team and our author/bloggers, we’ve got a great community going over there.

My other go-to for group projects has been the multi-author box set, but it seems the efficacy is sliding, especially for authors determined to sell their e-books on other retailers as well as Amazon. So my thought became: what is the next step?

When is a box set not a box set? When it’s the gateway to six series in a shared world where a foodie culture and romance grow hand-in-hand!

Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley is that sort of gateway. I’ve teamed up with five other authors who love real food, gardens, farm-to-table restaurants, farmers markets, homemade bread — you name it, and someone is writing it into an Arcadia Valley Romance novel.

From the outside, Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley looks like a normal box set, except most box sets don’t have a paperback version. But each of the six novellas in the collection is the prequel to a three-book series set in the same fictional community of Arcadia Valley, Idaho. In the next eighteen months, our group will release a novel (not a novella) every single month, rotating between authors, until we each have completed our interwoven series. In the meanwhile, we’ve committed to working and marketing with each other.

My contribution to the collection of prequels is “Sow in Love,” a novella leading into my Garden Grown Romance series set in Arcadia Valley.

Real estate consultant Joanna Kraus’s ideas for fulfilling a living trust are shot down by the elderly man’s grandson. In fact, it seems like sending her back to the drawing board is his primary joy. How can a vintage 1960s house and two greenhouses generate income for the church in receipt of the trust?

The more Grady Akers gets to know Joanna, the more he finds himself hoping it takes a long time to find a solution, but his charm may be no match for the armor wrapped around Joanna’s heart. Will the perfect solution for the property be perfect to grow a love that’s just been sown?

Won’t you come along for the ride? This entire series will be available on Kindle, Kobo, Nook, and iBooks, as well as paperback. You can find the links for Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley here, as well as more information about the other five novellas.

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She has been called “a stellar storyteller” as she injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Visit her at ValerieComer.com.

Winter Wonderland Christmas and #Giveaway

For much of the English-speaking/reading world, Christmas means snow and wintry weather. On this international blog, that’s less true than many places.

I’ve just finished reading An Aussie Summer Christmas by Narelle Atkins, Marion Ueckermann, and four other authors, which reminded me that summer heat, barbecues, and visits to the beach are typical for Christmases in the Southern Hemisphere. Likewise, my son-in-law was born and raised in Chile, and it’s taken him a while to become accustomed to Canadian Christmases and the different traditions we have in a cold-weather climate.

For me, Christmas and winter go hand-in-hand. My goal as an author is to permeate my Christmas stories with some of the following:

• Snow, including winter driving, snowball fights, snow angels, snowmen, and tobogganing parties
• Hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies
• Acquiring and decorating a live pine or fir tree
• Caroling parties
• Sunday school Christmas concerts
• The wonder as seen through the eyes of children
• The story of Jesus’ birth
• Families, friends, and traditions
• Candlelight and fireplaces
• Aromas of cinnamon, ginger, and peppermint

Not every story has room for all of those, of course, even if it includes a northern Christmas! For a Christmas story to be successful, it needs to remind readers of Jesus' birth, tug at the heartstrings, and offer a feel-good nostalgic experience. Do you agree?

More Than a Tiara debuted in 2014 as part of Snowflake Tiara and showed up again in 2015 as part of Home for Christmas. It’s recently released as the first in the Christmas in Montana Romance series, closely followed by Other Than a Halo. Next year will see the release of Better Than a Crown.

About the Christmas in Montana Romance series: Welcome to Helena, Montana, and fall in love at Christmas! Enjoy the rich heritage and innate charm of Montana’s capitol city in this Christmas romance series celebrating heart-warming stories of love and second chances as Marisa, Bren, and Heather discover love amid the glitz of beauty pageants.

Interested in reading one of my Christmas in Montana Romances and experiencing a northern Christmas for yourself? I’m offering one reader a copy (winner’s choice, e-book only, worldwide). If you'd like to put your name in the hat, please add your email address with your comment before Friday, December 9, replacing @ with (at) and .com with (dot) com.

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.


Valerie is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She has been called “a stellar storyteller” as she injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Visit her at ValerieComer.com.

The Various Hats of an Indie Author

We all go through life wearing assorted hats: child, student, employee, spouse, parent, cook, dog-walker… you name it. On. Off. On. Off. Sometimes a hat gets tossed and a new one takes its place, but there are always multiple hats.

1. The Creative Hat
Writers tend to love the “creative” hat. The one that lets our imaginations roam wild and free in whatever genre or style that calls us. If all you want to do is write, I implore you to embrace your creative hat. Follow Alice down the rabbit hole. Soar away with Peter Pan, and enjoy your travels.

At some point, many writers get a niggling little thought. “Hey, this is so much fun, and other people are making some money from their writing. I wonder if I could do that, too?”

Let me introduce you to your new hat collection!

2. The Business Hat
When you decide to become an author – someone who gets paid to write – you don this hat. Yes, you’ll wear it at times whether seeking traditional or independent publication. No writer who wants to be paid can leave this hat on its hook, gathering dust.

Sure, you’re a creative. I get that. But once the creative glory is over, that manuscript becomes a product. Treating writing as a business means making objective decisions about that product’s worth, creating a business plan, and setting goals. It means analyzing how many books you can write in a year, which titles they will be, and how they will fit together. What your author brand is, and how you will establish it.

The business hat requires learning to track income and expenses, even though we creatives tend to be allergic to numbers. It means embracing technology, rolling up our sleeves, and tackling each learning curve, one after the other, with a can-do attitude.

Yes, the lightning bolt of success can strike anywhere, but it favors the prepared.

3. The Publishing Hat
As an indie author with a can-do attitude, you’ll navigate the various publishing choices, analyze the pros and cons, and determine your own path through them. You’ll decide whether to sell e-books only on Amazon (Kindle Direct Publishing Select has some perks for exclusivity) or also on Nook, Kobo, and iBooks. You’ll determine whether creating paperbacks and/or audiobooks is a good use of your time and resources. With each favorable decision, you’ll create an account and learn what is required to upload your precious manuscript – I mean your product – to this platform. You’ll choose pricing, not by instinct or pride, but by careful study of the market you’re entering.

You may choose to outsource parts of this ‘hat.’ Most indie authors outsource cover creation and editing. I do. Some outsource book formatting as well. I don’t, as I prefer the ability to easily update my files.

Are there many things to learn? Absolutely, but you learn them the same way you eat an elephant: one bite at a time. None of them are difficult when broken down into steps. It just takes time, a positive attitude, and rolled-up sleeves. And possibly caffeine.

4. The Marketing Hat
All authors, indie or traditional, must don this hat, whether it is a comfortable fit or not. I’ve never yet met a plumber who sat quietly in his house without telling anybody what he could do, waiting for phone calls because God knew who needed their pipes fixed. No, Jesus tells us not to ‘hide our light under a basket.’ We shouldn’t pridefully flaunt our work, but realize it is our job to make it possible for those who would be blessed or challenged or entertained by our words to discover them.

I’m not saying God can’t or won't over-rule our meager efforts, but I firmly believe that He has not given us our talents to bury them in the ground out of fear. There is a big difference between being a pushy salesperson and an author who respectfully offers his or her books in response to the needs in peoples’ lives.

So there you have it: the hats of an indie author. Just as each of us has a writing voice all our own, these hats will be personalized, too. Which hats are you wearing? Which fit comfortably, and which have you handed off to someone else? Have I missed a hat we should all wear?

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She has been called “a stellar storyteller” as she injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Visit her at ValerieComer.com.

When Good News Comes

Sometimes this writing gig is hard work, isn't it? It's hard work if you're a hobbyist, it's hard work if you're doing it around your regular day job, and it's hard work if it is your day job. There are no guarantees. Some days and weeks go by swimmingly, and other times sales tank, and you have no idea why.

I've had a season of lower sales and, I'll admit it, discouragement. Not discouragement to the point of giving up, but definitely to the point of wondering if it really was all going to pay off in the end. 2015 was a great year. I wrote and released seven titles (five of them novellas) and made a decent income.

But 2016 has been slow out of the gate for me. I released one book in February, wrapping up my Farm Fresh Romance series, and wrote the first two in my new Urban Farm Fresh Romance series. Due to putting the first into a multi-author box set — I've blogged about those here at ICFW before — that didn't release until the end of June, I had a long gap in my publishing schedule: four months! I know. It seems crazy. But in the current digital publishing realm, four months is a long time without a new release.

The timing of the box set, Whispers of Love, was such that I very nearly chose not to participate. I'd intended to release Secrets of Sunbeams in May, and all the files were ready to go. But something special just might happen, and I wanted to be on board, just in case.

Meanwhile, I discovered that Dandelions for Dinner, the fourth Farm Fresh Romance had finaled in the Word Awards (The Word Guild is a Canadian organization for Christian authors). On June 24 I got a text from Janet Sketchley from the Word Award Gala in Toronto saying my title was the winner in the contemporary category! And there was much rejoicing in the Comer household. (Thanks, Janet, for reading my acceptance speech!)

But as cool as that win was — and I'm not downplaying it at all — my eyes were nervously fixed on June 28 and the release of the Whispers of Love box set. We 12 authors had set an ambitious goal: the USA Today best-sellers list, which consists of the top 150 books per week, counted by number of sales across multiple platforms.

There were many unknowns. How many sales would it take this particular week to break into the top 150? As you can imagine, that number varies depending on what else is launching and which older titles are hot. There's nothing controllable about either! Still, we agreed that the more pre-orders we had going into release week, the better our chances would be.

The second question we had is one all authors have. How can we reach beyond our known readers to find new ones that would like us if they only were aware we and our books existed? We had a great start to our 90-day pre-order period. If only we could keep up that momentum, we'd surely land a good spot. But campaigns, like books and authors, tend toward saggy middles. Once our keen fans and followers had reserved their sets, reality set in and the hard work began.

We blogged and guest blogged. We bought Facebook ads. We tweeted. We shared memes in Facebook groups and on our pages. We bought ads on various promotional sites. We shared excerpts. We had a Facebook party.

Frankly, our author friends were beginning to think the set should be named Shouts of Annoyance instead of Whispers of Love.

At the end of the week, we gathered in our corner and waited, (almost) silently. No longer did we wonder what day the USA Today list updated. We knew. Now we wondered what hour. What minute. And we hoped against hope that we'd find ourselves there, somewhere above #150, hanging on by our fingertips.

Instead, God blessed us with a solid landing at #79. All those pre-orders? Enough. All that hustling? Enough. All those prayers? Enough.

Now that the fever pitch is wearing off two weeks later, our author friends are starting to speak to us again. They've forgiven us. They're even happy for us, because a win for twelve indie authors is a win for all authors and readers alike.

Thank you, Jesus. May this bring glory to your name.

---

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She has been called “a stellar storyteller” as she injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Visit her at ValerieComer.com.