Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Book Promotion

Fit to be Dead by Nancy West – Cozy Mystery for clue fans

Aggie is the author of the “Stay Young with Aggie” column and today she decides to follow her own advice. After all, she’s well over 30, admits to a few extra pounds, and looks ahead to growing old with sheer fear. She pulls into the Fit and Firm Fitness Center with the thought that she might be able to improve her social life along with her figure. Once inside, she receives a guest pass and another kind of pass – from a gorgeous blond who introduces himself as Pete Reeves and offers her a tour of the club. She declines the latter and heads for the locker room.

As she enters the swimming area, however, she spots something strange at the far end of the pool. It’s a body. And it isn’t moving! Aggie rushes to the rescue and not a minute too soon. Her yell for help brings instructor Sarah Savoy to revive the young woman, Holly. To their combined horror, the women spot an electric cord snaking across the pool. Hard to say what would have happened to Holly first – drowning or electrocution – if Aggie hadn’t been there. Was it an accident or…? Such questions always make Aggie’s feet itch.

The next day at the gym Holly confesses to Aggie that she had recently given her newborn baby girl—born out of wedlock—to an adoption agency. Trying to swallow her concern and sorrow, Aggie goes to the locker room to shower and dress. But soon she’s hearing screams. She rushes outside just as the medics arrive. Aggie knows two things: it’s Holly and she’s dead.

Aggie decides she owes it to Holly to find out what happened. She’s certain that the hit and run was a second—this time successful—attempt on Holly’s life. But questions remain: Who? Why? As the column writer becomes sleuth, her spunk and determination return, along with her unique madcap approach to life.

As Nancy West finished her award-winning Nine Days to Evil (2012), something about one of the supporting characters, Aggie Mundeen, wouldn’t let her rest. This character seemed to demand that West make her the protagonist of a new book. Thus, Fit to Be Dead was created!

West crafts her characters with considerable expertise and an extensive vocabulary. West knows how to turn a phrase and how to keep you turning the pages. Additionally, this author has the keen knack of slyly tucking in clues so that they slip past readers at first, then pop up later. Thank you, Nancy West for crafting the Aggie Mundeen mysteries!

March 2, 2017
JUMP OFF the SHELF – HOW to MAKE YOUR WORKS GET NOTICED by Diane Sillan Isaacs

BASIC MAXIMS for CREATING COMPELLING CONTENT

With 25 years in the film production world, I worked with scripts as the blueprints. I am now focusing on books, but story is story is story.

The same guidelines I used in Hollywood, apply in publishing.

How can you stand out in a sea of new releases- scripts or books- estimated to be 2 million each year?

How can you entice readers to find your book, pick it up and read it?

Whether you are published by the Big 5, hybrid houses, indie imprints or by self, start with these basic maxims for creating compelling content to increase your odds of being discovered:

Start with a bold, big idea/a high concept– something bold, a twist, an irony. Imagine its own movie poster. Are you asking a profound question, setting forth a new reality, diving deep into the human psyche, setting up a comedic situation, writing a biography – know your hook and build from there.

Write the log line <33 words. Your story reduced to its essential core. Try out versions with friends/colleagues to test if they get the true meaning of your book. Once it has been vetted, memorize it. Practice in the mirror so when someone asks you about your book… voila! without hesitation, you have this compact, crafted and compelling logline. Then, put the logline in a prominent position in your writing space. As you are writing, the logline acts as the guardrails to keep your stream of consciousness on track. All satellite storylines revolve around that core statement.

Walk in the skin of your main character. Before writing your book, imagine your character in different scenarios and challenging dilemmas that are outside the projected book’s storyline. Just observe how he/she reacts to trauma, betrayal, falling in love, danger, as it informs how your lead character thinks and acts in the world. Crawl inside his/her skin.

Oftentimes, writers observe a character as if from across the room and paint the characters from the outside. Instead, start on the inside until you really know your protagonist- and antagonist too. These imaginings create an unspoken backstory and uniquely color the voice and reactions of your lead, thereby making him/her memorable and distinct. Characters are why people turn pages, so intrigue your readers with a rich and nuanced characters.

Front load your story with intrigue, conflict, tension, wonder, the oh-my-goodness. Don’t hold back on the first paragraph or the first chapter. Today’s world is accustomed to videos under 5 seconds and interactions less than 140 characters. The story needs to hook the reader from the first sentence. To that point, no prologues or backstories to start your book off. Jump on the train that is leaving the station. Backstories that are necessary to drive the story forward can be worked in later, but only if they are relevant and essential to knowing the character today.

Create a GREAT Cover. Yes, we do judge a book by its cover. Humans are judging machines and first impressions run deepest. Not that we are superficial all the time…but we definitely are when browsing bookstores and online titles. Covers project the books’ genre, emotion, energy and attract different types of readers. Successful covers are provocative: ironic, funny, intriguing, emotional, brash, curious, colorful- whatever emotions are congruent to your book. You are writers, not graphic artists. Your cover needs outside help. I see far too many times, authors are worn out and at wallet’s end when they get to the cover expense, but it is your most valuable sales force.

At the upcoming CAC 17, I have a spicy session on how to make a great Story Cocktail- the ingredients to shake, stir and add a twist to light up your story and ultimately, your book sales. Hope to see you there! – Diane

Diane is the Creative Director at Chanticleer Reviews & Media.

Diane Sillan Isaacs brings more than two decades of experience in film and television industries as an executive film producer, president of production for Don Johnson Productions at Universal and Paramount pictures, president of development and production for Green Moon Productions where she produced films for Antonio Banderas and Emma Thompson.

Diane is also the executive creative director of Luna Design NYC. She and Kiffer Brown co-founded SillanPaceBrown Publishing + Production + Agency, LLC.

February 26, 2017
Ghost Toasties (Good Vampires Book 4) by Karl Larew – Humour/Satire, Vampires, Literary

Volume 4 of a trilogy? That’s no typo! It’s just that those Bad Vampires had more mischief up their sleeves—and of course our Good Vampires couldn’t let them get away with it, especially when it seemed the Baddies had a Plot to Destroy Civilization as We Know It! Readers of Volumes 1-3 know that author, Karl Larew couldn’t leave his readers in the dark…he had no choice but to write a Volume 4. Say hello to Ghost Toasties!

You Newbies, who haven’t YET read the first three volumes, need to know that there are, indeed, vampires on our planet. The Bad Vampires engineer criminal plots to get human blood (which they cruelly gorge on, leaving their victims dead), creating really weird sorts of mayhem throughout the globe. Even Good Vampires have a metabolic need for small amounts of blood, but they have good human friends or, in some cases, human spouses who willingly, even lovingly, meet their needs in a sexy way – and sometimes by serving real Bloody Marys!

The Good Vampires do their damnedest to halt the Baddies’ criminal schemes and to extinguish the Bad Vampire population. That’s why the Association of Good Vampires was created. It’s headquartered in New York City, in the Manhattan mansion of their chief, millionaire Mr. Arleigh Granville. The New York Association’s highest-ranking special agents are Mr. Granville’s vampire wife Inge (converted from Bad to Good Vampirism), Lance and his human wife Carol, and Nigerians Nigel and wife Becky, who are aided by bodyguards Gladdy and Dizzy, along with their wives, twins Helovah and Delivah.

This cast of characters was considerably expanded at the end of Volume 3 by the arrival of five(!) babies—Arleigh Jr., Mary Jane, Reginald, and Pixie and Trixie—born within minutes of each other to the three special agent couples and the two bodyguards and their wives!

Our story begins with Lance wakening Carol from a nightmare. As Lance tries to calm her, they hear a knock at the door. It is their friends and fellow agents, Nigel and Becky, inviting them to go out for a drink. But, as often happens, the phone rings. Inge, Arleigh’s assistant as well as wife, asks the agents to attend an emergency meeting the next morning. “Bring the babies,” she tells them. “Miss Overy (Arleigh’s secretary) can take care of them.” (Isn’t that what secretaries are for?)

Somehow the Baddies have learned about the meeting and two men with pistols kidnap the two couples as they walk to HQ with their babies in strollers. Gladdy and Dizzy, of course, come to the rescue, followed by their wives and babies. Once at the meeting, they learn that at least part of the Baddie plot is in its early stages in Hawaii. But how can the special agents go to Oahu when they have babies needing to be fed and diapered?! It is decided that only the two primary agent couples, and Becky’s pet wolf, Wolfie, will fly to Hawaii in Mr. G’s private plane, leaving Mary Jane and Reginald at the mansion with the Granvilles and Miss Overy. Once in Honolulu, they will enlist the aid of Molly Houlihan and her mother, Holy Moly (friends of the Good Vampires from earlier adventures who now run a whore house called the Ukelele Girl) and Beatrice, a prostitute with a heart of gold (well, maybe silver).

But first they visit the laboratory of Dr. Lester Griswold, Ace Scientist of the Good Vampire Association, who presents them with his newest gadgets, including an Ectoplasmic Dissolver Ray Gun that toasts ghost ectoplasm to a crisp, turning it into “ectoplasmic ghost-toasties” (Aha!). It can also destroy the electronic triggers of nuclear bombs, which the Baddies are apparently collecting for their plot to blow up special targets around the world.

After the agents pick up their reinforcements at the airport, they head for Bernie Ernie’s house near Opana, where they find a machine labeled Ectoplasmic Synthesizer. When Bernie unsuspectingly arrives, they capture him. He agrees to help, spilling the beans, including news that the Big Boss is called Mr. Very Big (big help!). But who is Mr. Very Big, where is he, and will he continue with his plan to destroy the world? There’s only one way for you, dear reader, to find out, and will you ever be surprised!

No need to bite your fingernails, however. You know you can trust Karl Larew’s Good Vampire special agents to complete their assignment and get home to their BABIES, especially after an urgent call from Chief Granville: “All the diapers are dirty, and the washing machine’s broken down… COME HOME AT ONCE!”

“The Bad Vampires strike again, but this time our Good Vampires have a secret weapon to make Ghost Toasties in the much anticipated and hilarious fourth “spooks and spoofs” book in Karl Larew’s Good Vampire trilogy.” –Chanticleer Reviews

February 25, 2017
The Atheist and the Parrotfish by Richard Barager – Religious/Spiritual Fiction/Literary/Medical

Can the souls of the departed live on in their transplanted organs? Read Richard Barager’s edgy novel, The Atheist and the Parrotfish, and find out!

Dr. Cullen Brodie receives word that a donor is available for one of his patients, Ennis, a sixty-three-year-old cross-dresser desperately in need of a new heart and kidney. Cullen learns that the donor happens to be his boss’s daughter-in-law, Carla, who never recovered from a car accident.

At his three-month follow-up appointment, Ennis declares that his donor came to him in a dream and that Carla’s organs have exerted influences on him “beyond their intended bodily functions,” such as unexplained sweating and flushing, chattiness, a love for jazz as well as beets.

The possibility of Carla’s transmigration (passage of a soul into a living body) sends chills through Cullen. How can this be?

The uncanny “spiritual” experiences in Ennis’s life spark religious questions within Cullen’s mind, particularly ones directed toward an unresolved conflict embedded in his past.

Ennis has some other issues, as well. But his (or more correctly, Carla’s) take shape in an obsession with locating the donor’s family. When he does, however, that familial connection stirs up personality clashes between Ennis and Elaine (Ennis’s feminine side), and Carla.

Amid the turmoil, Ennis is aware of Carla desperately trying to relay a critical life-changing message to her family, but he needs Cullen’s help to deliver it. The real trick will be whether or not Ennis can convince Cullen before Carla destroys Ennis altogether.

Coming-out-of-the-closet late produces in Ennis a multitude of inner struggles and unsettling childhood memories. In the midst of his personal chaos, Ennis has amazing moments of clarity (with the help of Carla) to see through people and their faults.

Cullen, on the other hand, finds himself between a rock and a hard place dealing with Ennis’s ongoing commentary about Carla. “When all else fails, listen to your patient” is Cullen’s default motto to identify patients’ diagnoses. With Ennis however, Cullen finds this motto difficult to live by, especially since it is both extremely unusual and disconcerting for Cullen to even consider the possibility of life after death – or the very existence of a soul. As a result, Cullen’s attempt to apply reason to an unreasonable situation leads him to revisit conflicts from his own past.

Contradiction is a key narrative theme in this work. One story coiled within another builds while Barager slowly and masterfully weaves the two seemingly opposing accounts together. Chapters alternate between characters dealing with past and present situations, and scenes that include shocking, and at times, heart-stopping endings.

Pages are replete with rich descriptions of religious and ethical conundrums, philosophy, and theological ambiguities. The latter, readers may not recognize until much later in the story.

Rising author Richard Barager pulls from his daytime job experience as a nephrologist to create a gripping human-interest account packed with complex characters and spiritual paradoxes.

“A fascinating story, The Atheist and the Parrotfish, which merges age-old spiritual questions with the latest in modern medicine, is replete with complex characters and riveting pages that brim with religious and ethical conundrums, making Richard Barager’s novel a thought-provoking top-of-the-line read.” – Chanticleer Reviews

February 23, 2017
The Nitty Gritty – Business Growth Strategy Applied to Authorship & Beyond by Sara Dahmen

What more does it take to be a successful author?

Whether you’re represented or self-published or somewhere in between, using overarching business tools are a huge assistance in building success.

How can the tools commonly manipulated by marketers, large and small companies, and retailers help you create a successful ‘business plan’ as an author?

From multi-pronged approaches, to developing a tiered ‘clientele’, to organization and presence, business is business, whether you’re an author or the manager of Apple. Use those same tools that business marketers use to create your multi-pronged marketing approach.

If you’re an author, you’re also, by default, a self-employed business owner. I know many of us don’t take out LLC’s or even own our own URL, but the fact remains, if only on paper, that we are all business owners. There’s a resounding ring to that.

Business owner.
Self-employed.
My own boss.
The plotter of my own destiny.

Excellent. So, once we’ve all recognized that fact…now what?

Being a successful author is more than simply selling some (or a lot!) of books. Even getting 20,000 books out there is not going to be a sustainable career. Once those 20,000 books have been read (and unless you continually churn out best-sellers), you’re left with a bit of a hangover and half-formed additional ideas. None of these bode well to continue the business of “you.”

Success is measured both by income and by long-term growth. It’s a bit hard, and not nearly as wonderfully artsy to say, but it’s the truth. If you’re going to be a successful small business owner, you need to pull up a chair with the left side of your brain and get to work.

A multiple pronged approach is best, and each person’s strategy will vary widely depending on your audience, which should always be broader than a singular author’s platform. There are a myriad of business tools out there – some expensive, and some free – that can be harnessed to create a wide-scale business bigger than a book.

A business owner will always have a product or a service. You have that already: your book. And a business owner will also have a marketing strategy (and we all know many of those…but many are also often forgotten or overlooked or we get in a rut and forget to think outside the box) that encompasses far more than a blog, a website and some social media. And a business owner will think long-term. A one-hit wonder will be lovely, but after that advance is gone and the shine has worn from those book covers, you’ll need to ask yourself: what now?

Business is business, and books are business in many more ways than getting some readers and a publisher. Whether you write it down (pun intended!) or not, writers need some sort of a business plan that goes beyond writing the words “the end” and I’m not just talking about plastering a Twitter page with a bunch of book launch announcements.

Authors should walk into the arena equipped with answers to the questions:

What do you believe: about yourself, your book, your future plans?
What are you going to do to make those future plans happen – and how?
Who do you need to know to help you?
And what kind of wacky ideas can you dream up for yourself…and then do?

I plan to tackle much of this in a presentation (Bigger Than Books: Business Growth Applied to Authorship & Beyond) at the Chanticleer Author Conference in Bellingham WA the weekend of March 31 – April 2 where I promise I will be far less vague and incredibly specific.

Looking forward to seeing you there! – Sara Dahmen

February 19, 2017
Sati and the Rider by Winslow Eliot – Cozy Mystery/Woman Sleuth

Do you need a little mystery in your life? It may be in your cards with Winslow Eliot’s new book, Sati and the Rider!

Just when she thinks she’s lost her juju, Satyana, the heroine of Winslow Eliot’s new mystery series, finds it in a most unexpected way.

Satyana and the Rider opens with Satyana – just Satyana – a fortune teller, coming to grips with the possibility that she has lost her ability to tell fortunes. After a horrendous loss, misdirection, and failed attempts to rescue a child, she has packed her bags and moved into a brownstone smack dab in the center of a posh neighborhood in New York City. How does she afford the home? A wealthy client willed it to her when she died.

But with no money to speak of, no clients lining up on her steps, and grappling with her gift that seemingly has flown the coop, Satyana is lonely and depressed – until a sexy young delivery man slips on her stairs and fractures his ankle.

Cue motherly instincts – or a keen sense of responsibility – or an instant attraction – cue whatever you like, Sati (Satyana) is bound to care for the hapless delivery man, Percy is his name, until he can to walk up the five flights of stairs to his apartment across town… which, you know, he never does!

This is the set-up for Winslow Eliot’s first book in the Satyana Mystery Series. A cozy, fast-paced, fun read, Eliot has set the stage for future adventures. Is it perfect? Not quite. There are some continuity issues, but not enough to stop a reader cold. The author, a card reader herself, utilizes the troupe of cards in her title and throughout the book. Here, the Rider indicates the following: News, a delivery, a young man, perhaps a lover. A new person or situation entering your life. A visit. A horse, a car, or other means of transportation. Opportunity. Things moving quickly. A vibrant social life. Elegance. Energy. Comings and goings. 9 of Hearts: a wish fulfilled. Timing: Soon, in a day, next week, in January.

The above description is mentioned at the beginning of the book and skillfully woven in throughout the work. Ultimately, Sati and the Rider is well-written and engaging. A perfect escape from reality for readers of the cozy mystery genre.

February 19, 2017
St Louis Affair: The Adventures of Herbert Falken by Michael Scheffel – Historical Thriller/Detective

This tantalizing whodunit is set in 1899 St. Louis and revolves around the heinous murder of a prominent wealthy citizen, Charles Garrett, whose body is discovered on the banks of the Mississippi River. Because the crime scene is devoid of clues and political pressure for a fast resolution abounds, the city police turn to professional Inquiry Agent, Herbert Falken, for assistance.

Falken, also known by the public as Major Falken from his heroic exploits fighting renegade raiders along the US – Mexican border, is well respected for his deductive abilities and previous success in solving a perplexing string of grisly crimes. What the public doesn’t know is that Falken is haunted by his own personal and professional demons.

Not long after departing from this crime scene, however, Falken discovers a curious fact: Charles Garrett’s public and private personas are polar opposites. Faced with a growing list of suspects and demands from the Governor on down to the average citizen for an immediate arrest, Falken feels the pressure. If it weren’t for James Westfall (former army officer mustered out due to a permanent leg injury) Falken’s aide-de-camp, our hero would be in dire straights. Westfall not only records critical crime scene and subject interview information, but he also cares for and tries to protect Falken—sometimes from himself.

A strong cast of well-drawn and individually distinctive characters who aid, circumvent, and forestall Falken’s pursuit of justice adds richness to the story.

Scheffel’s use of architectural design, clothing and accouterments, individual and class attitudes, and various character traits and dialects to resurrect old St. Louis is a true highlight of the book. He deftly crafts different scenes in smooth, articulate detail without hindering the story’s pace. Whether it’s inside Falken’s dining room, traveling across uneven paving bricks in a horse-drawn buggy, trudging along the muddy banks along the river, descending into a seedy opium den, or watching Falken get his butt kicked in a bare-knuckle brawl, the reader is right there. Another treat is the seamless placement of real-world news events into dialogue, which adds both authenticity and consistency to the setting.

Overall, St Louis Affair: The Adventures of Herbert Falken is an entertaining turn-of-the-century page-turner with plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing to the end. Michael Scheffel grabs the reader’s attention from the first sentence and doesn’t let go until the very last in St. Louis Affair: The Adventures of Herbert Falken, a fast-paced, page-turner that will have the reader hoping that he is hard a work penning a new tale involving Herbert Falken, Inquiry Agent.

February 19, 2017
A SEASON for KILLING BLONDES by Joanne Guidoccio – Cozy Mystery

Gilda has been absent from her hometown for 30 years, and when she returns with a pocket full of cash (19 million from a lottery win), she opens up a business. Everything is ready for the opening night – except the dead blonde in the dumpster out back wasn’t part of the plan. What’s worse, that dead blonde was Gilda’s first client! This is just the start – dead blondes seem to drop everywhere Gilda goes!

In A Season for Killing Blondes, author Joanne Guidoccio introduces a bevy of Italian friends and relatives who are loving, clever, talented, overbearing, overprotective, erratic, abusive, etc., and who try to “help” Gilda manage her life, whether she wants their input or not. Some of the characters have double names—think of The Waltons 2.0—that in combination with some cousins, a few Aunts, and an Uncle, may initially seem confusing, but the author handles it with a deft touch. The names and behaviors add depth, texture, and suspects to the story.

When lead detective, Carlo Fantin, comes onto the scene with a lot of pressure from the city to solve the crimes, he’s all business until he realizes that he knows Gilda from high school…30 years ago. On the plus side, she accepts his dinner invitation to reconnect. On the negative, she’s a prime suspect who has a huge problem with alibis.

But honestly, who wouldn’t love a relative willing to create a handy alibi on the fly?

“Relax, Gilda. You’re not going to jail. I provided you with an alibi for last night. All those times that Roberto and I rehearsed worked.” Sofia (her mother) glanced over at me. “Aren’t you pleased? You’ve said very little since we left the station.”

or how about this:

“I called Detective Fantin and left a message on his machine,” Uncle Paolo said. “When he calls back, I’ll make sure that he knows you and Sofia were with us Saturday night.”

Talk about a support network.

A Season for Killing Blondes is well crafted with solid character and setting descriptions that do not get in the way of pacing. For those readers who enjoy a good humorous mystery and whodunit, along with Italian food, Guidoccio’s cozy does not disappoint. Clues, hints, and some foreshadowing are mixed in with a few curve balls (and meatballs) that keep you guessing until the end.

February 16, 2017
Spotlight on: Kathy L. Murphy, Book Club Queen and Special Guest at the 2017 Chanticleer Authors Conference

For authors, having your book chosen by a book club is one of those exciting author career highlights. A couple of book clubs is even better. But what about 700?

Meet Kathy L. Murphy, founder of the Pulpwood Queens book club with 700+ chapters in the US and 15 countries around the world. If your book is chosen for the Pulpwood Queens Book Club Selections by Kathy, then your book could be ordered and read by all the members of those 700+ chapters.

And you can find her at the upcoming Chanticleer Author Conference—CAC17—March 31st to April 2nd. She will be on hand to teach the ins and outs of book clubs and perhaps choose a few new books for her book club selection list.

If book clubs are on your marketing radar be sure to attend Everything you need to know to get your book discovered in a really big way: It’s all about Book Clubs and Social Media.

As part of our spotlight series, we asked Kathy our five questions to get her perspective on professional success.

1. When did you know what you really wanted to be?

I have always wanted to do many things. First, when I graduated from high school I did not know what I wanted to be so I decided I would become an airline stewardess. I figured I could travel then figure it out.

Wrong, my counselor at school and parents decided I would become a teacher and go to college.

I wanted to major in art, but no, that was not a choice. So I went for two years and secretly changed my major. Then I was told I would have to find my own way to fund my education as my sisters were going to be starting college soon. So, I took a year off to become a cosmetologist as I knew then I could work as hairdresser to put myself through school. \I would scrape up some money and go, then when it would run out, I would have to drop out to work for awhile.

Fast forward to now, I am finally going back to school to finish my B.F.A in Art and Mixed Media but basically I have always been in survival mode on jobs including running probably one of the only hair salon/bookstores in the country, Beauty and the Book. I have been in my life a babysitter, lifeguard, bar maid, cook, waitress, hairdresser, au pair, bed and breakfast owner, bookseller, children’s bookstore manager, publisher’s sales representative, hair salon/book store owner, author, book club founder and moderator, college student, speaker, retail sales clerk, and soon to receive my degree in art–educating myself and reading have always been the utmost of my priorities.

It took me awhile but to the question “what did I really want to do professionally?”–the answer is everything.

2. What was the biggest challenge you faced?

Finances, I have been on the edge of poverty my whole life, but the answer has always been, get another job. Right now I have three, I own and operate Beauty and the Book, run The Pulpwood Queens Book Club and their convention, Girlfriend Weekend, work at Cato’s Fashions, all while being a full time college student. Perhaps four jobs if you count speaking engagements…

3. How do you define success?

Success to me is not about money, obviously, it’s hand to mouth most of the time. I work hard for my money. Success is when you have a little girl tell you that when they grow up, they want to be just like you. The story is in my book.

4. How long did it take to achieve your success?

Honestly, still working on it but when I look back and see my all accomplishments, even I am impressed. Started a book club with six relative strangers that grew to 700 chapters nationwide and in 15 foreign countries? I have been featured on Oprah’s OXYGEN NETWORK, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and in print, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, published a book, “The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life” with one of the top five New York publishing houses, Grand Central Publishing and sold my option for book to film to Dreamworks. But my greatest success is my two daughters, Helaina Amethyst Wilkerson and Madeleine Alexandrite Patrick. Two strong young women with big dreams, they are my biggest success.

5. What is the best advice you have ever received?

The best advice I ever learned is do the work. I earned everything I have ever accomplished and I take great satisfaction in that fact. I am not allergic to work, I revel in starting a job and finishing it well. But I have to also say, do the work that you love and it never really seems like work. My work and play are the same thing. Everything I do revolves around doing the work, it’s just that simple.

If you have not registered for CAC17 yet, what are you waiting for? Kathy L. Murphy and more fantastic speakers (including yourself possibly, if you register before the schedule is full) will be sharing their experience and knowledge about writing books, selling books, and everything to do with being a successful author.

About Kathy

Former book purchaser for Barron’sBooks, Kathy L. Murphy is the author of “The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life.” She opened the only hair Salon/Bookstore, Beauty & the Book in the country in Jefferson, Texas. She is the founder and operator of the 700+ chapter book club, The Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guys, nationally and in 15 foreign countries making it the largest “meeting and discussing” book club in the world. Featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show and Good Morning America. Recipient of The James Patterson Pageturner Award in 2007 for an individual going beyond the call for promoting literacy.

Attend the Exciting GIRLFRIEND WEEKEND hosted by Kathy L. Murphy

This year’s Annual Pulpwood Queen Book Club Convention will be held in Nacogdoches, Texas January 12th – 15th, 2017. The biggest meeting of authors and readers of its kind. Featuring their notorious author dinner–where the authors from the book club selections serve the readers dinner! And a weekend full of panels and fun.

Register soon because tickets will probably sell out! Make sure to purchase your membership before your tickets to the Girlfriend Weekend so that you get the discount. Tickets are non-refundable.

Kathy’s classes:

Everything you need to know to get your book discovered in a really big way: It’s all about Book Clubs and Social Media – Getting readers one at a time can be a long and grueling process. Book clubs are little groups of readers who read books as a single entity. Learn how to super charge your promotion by leveraging book clubs and discover how and where to source the best clubs and how to make the most of each and every book club appearance!

Check out all the classes and sessions we have scheduled!

Register for CAC17 NOW!

December 7, 2016
BOOKSELLER CONFIDENTIAL — What Are Booksellers Seeking to Buy for Stocking Their Shelves?
While Chanticleer Reviews was exhibiting books vetted by our reviewers and writing competitions at several Independent Bookseller Association Trade Shows this September, I was able to observe (a marketing habit of mine) professional book buyers in action. Their traits were consistent with what they were seeking to fill their shelves. Also, I was able to ask the book buyers what they were looking for in particular to make their buying decisions.

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A Sea of Books

Book buyers “walk the show” rather quickly as they scan for covers that pique their interest enough to stop and inquire. Book covers had, maybe, two or three seconds to catch a book buyers attention.

They do this because this is how most readers (aka customers) shop for books in their bookstores. Most independent book stores carry approximately seven thousand books. Inventory must be refreshed constantly to keep the core clientele coming back and to attract new clients.

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Book Buyers with Sell Sheets

TOP TEN OBSERVATIONS of the Independent Booksellers Association Trade Shows (so far)
1. The book store buyers were there to discover “new finds” for their patrons—not just the New York Times bestselling books. Many said their patrons shop with them to discover new authors.
2. They want to know what the author is doing to push sales on all fronts (websites, p-o-s, social media, etc.)
3. Book buyers want to know if the author is reaching out specifically to her targeted audience.
4. Are authors promoting their books in social media platforms that are targeted for their genres?
5. Do authors supply point-of-sale promotions (shelf-talkers, shiny award stickers)?
6. Is the book an award winner? Are there shiny stickers to attract the eyes of the readers? (Yes, I am repeating the bit about shiny stickers.)
7. Does the cover list review blurbs and endorsements?
8. Stores are becoming more event oriented. Is the author willing to do an event at book stores (not just a reading)? Events add value to a title and author brand.
9. Booksellers LOVE series! They love series and the promise of works to come.
10. Booksellers can tell the quality of a printed book in a heartbeat and at thirty paces.
  - It is an unspoken tenet that Booksellers do NOT want books printed by CreateSpace/Amazon — primarily because they are not available through the usual distribution channels.
  - Booksellers do NOT want books from certain vanity presses and/or author services known to be disreputable because of terrible past experiences. Everyone in the business of book selling knows about this unspoken list of disreputable publishing houses.
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This Cover Sells Itself

The NITTY GRITTY
- Booksellers do not care if a book is traditionally published, Indie published, or small press published. They care if the book will sell itself as it sits on the shelf–will the cover reach out to the targeted audience and pique interest? Booksellers want to know what the author/publisher is doing and will do to create book buzz.
- Booksellers do want to offer independently published books that have been vetted, but unless the authors are local community members, they want the books to come through the typical distribution channels.
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Book Buyers Asking Questions about Carrying Indie Books while another book buyer is reading the back cover of one of the books in the Chanticleer Collection.

However, they do care about:
- Covers — covers must be compelling, perfect, targeted, and sell the book by itself while sitting on a shelf. The cover must convey: Genre, Sub-genre, time period, mood (humorous, scary, romantic, light reading, intense, etc.), age appropriateness, targeted audience, tone, and the TITLE! The cover must convey ALL of this information in seconds.
- Professional Reviews (Editorial Reviews)
- Professional Editing
- Professional Formatting, Typography, and Graphic Design and Layout
- Availablility through traditional distribution channels (Baker Taylor, Ingram Spark, etc.)
- Conventional credit terms that are available through the distributor.
- Are the books returnable to the distributor?
- A minimum of 40 percent discount off retail price
- Ease and reliability of re-ordering from a stable supplier/distributor/publisher in to restock a bestselling book quickly
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Simon & Schuster Book Covers

What Independent Booksellers do care about is meeting their sales goals so that they can continue as a going-concern (staying open and in business). To do this, they must keep their clientele coming back by offering unique books and great “discoveries,” hosting events, and providing excellent service.

GOOD NEWS!

At each show, I met NEW INDIE bookstore owners who have just opened their stores in the past six months or were opening in November for the upcoming holiday season. All the bookstore owners told me that they were bringing in approximately $75,000 to $100,000 (in wholesale dollars) of books to initially stock their shelves.

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Book Buyers Inquiring about Author Events

Independent Booksellers do care about the quality of the books (content, cover, editing, formatting, and design) that they stock because the books reflect the quality of the bookstore.

AND, one more time, booksellers care the most about the cover (front, back, spine, dust jacket) which sells the book by attracting the targeted audience, acting as a point-of-sale promotion, and getting the book in the reader’s hands.

NEVER underestimate the power of the cover–especially for first time authors. The cover of the first book will sell it, and then is the content that will sell the second book.

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Denver MPIBA Show – Book Buyers Cruising the Show

Kiffer’s TOP OBSERVATIONS
- Either the cover attracted the bookseller to pick it up and check it out, OR the book did not exist — books with less than stellar covers seemed as if they were invisible or just did not exist.
- The cover must convey the genre, sub-genre, tone, mood, and be compelling to its targeted market in a glance.
- There must not be any question from the cover as to whether or not the book is a mystery, sci-fi, thriller, romance, etc. If there is any question as to its targeted readership—it is a pass to the book buyer.
In Closing

I am proud to say that the booksellers were impressed that the Chanticleer Reviews team members staffing the booth knew so much about the books that we were exhibiting and the authors. They found the author sheets given to them to take back to their offices very professional for Indie authors. They also were pleased to know that the titles were available in our printed and online catalogs, and that each and every book we were representing was vetted by us—Chanticleer Reviews—either with a top Chanticleer review that they could read and/or that the books were award winners in the Chanticleer International Writing Competitions.

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Kiffer Brown Hand-selling the Chanticleer Reviews Collection

Only books that received a four or five star Chanticleer Review and/or have been awarded a First in Category Award in the Chanticleer Reviews Writing Competitions are eligible for exhibition at the Chanticleer Reviews trade show booths for Booksellers and Librarians. If your book has received a coveted four or five star review from Chanticleer or was Short-Listed in the Chanticleer International Book Awards, it will be eligible to participate in Chanticleer’s exclusive trade show representation service.

Here is a comment from the owner of Village Books (one of the top five independent bookstores in the U.S.), Paul Hanson:

“Kiffer, your Bookseller Confidential article is SPOT ON. Thank you for spreading good and accurate information!” Best, Paul Hanson, Village Books

Thank you, Paul!

Another Note from Kiffer Brown: a tip of the hat to one of my favorite authors: Anthony Bourdain and his best-selling book, Kitchen Confidential.

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October 20, 2016