Reason for Absence: Big Happy News

Oh, so where to start? I have been missing from GCER for about a month. I have flicked through Instagram, maybe did some quick posts on my personal (not GCER) Facebook page, but pretty much I have been MIA online. I have a good reason. A happy reason. I’m excited to share it here, although a few of you probably already know because I did share this on IG Friday night / Saturday morning.

I finished my cozy paranormal mystery and published it on Amazon. (You can now order the ebook for $2.99 here – this is NOT an affiliate link.)

There, I said it. 🙂

In fact, I’m going to throw it all out there – you have to be bold and take risks to reach your goals and dreams, right? I hope you visit and or connect with me:

• https://writertracybrown.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/writertracybrown/
• https://www.facebook.com/WriterTracyBrown

I was a little shy to start sharing this info, especially here at GCER, but Mr. Gordon said I needed to get over it (in so many words).

So what is Door to Door about? (It’s showtime!)

Two worlds collide when Emily Swift turns thirty and her late father’s journal lands on her doorstep…

Seventeen years after Emily Swift’s father died, a door is opened to a new world, an Empire led by peculiar men and women called Salesmen – transporters of magical items. These Salesmen have the unique ability to travel from place-to-place, and even world-to-world, simply by stepping through the “right” door. Now that Emily is thirty, it turns out that she can “door travel” too, stumbling unplanned into kitchens, bathrooms, and alleyways as her connection to the Salesman Empire is revealed. Fueled by the cryptic notes and sketches in her father’s journal, Emily discovers the real reason behind his death: he was targeted and assassinated by the Fringe, a terrorist group of rogue Salesmen.

After an attack that leaves an innocent woman dead, a rare book containing clues to the whereabouts of the Crimson Stone is missing. Emily is charged with getting it back. As she races through the Empire, she pursues John Templeton, the mysterious Salesman with extraordinary abilities, who seems to both help and undermine Emily at whim. With new friends Anne Lace and the boyish Rabbit, she tracks Templeton, but the Fringe is not far behind – as two new murders prove. Along the way, Emily struggles to balance her desire to find out who killed her father against the task of recovering the legendary stone. The internal journey of reconciling the father she hardly knew, with the great leader she’ll never know, forms the foundation for a fast-paced race to keep powerful magic out of violent, fanatical hands.

Nuts & Bolts

I also received a few questions from some family and friends on FB, so I thought I’d post that here as well.

What is the genre? – Fiction: cozy paranormal mystery, female sleuth. If you like Janet Evanovich’s “Plum” or “Wicked” series, you will probably like Door to Door. Think, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (with no fighting skills) meets Stephanie Plum. It is not hardboiled. If you like movies like Amelie, this might be your speed.

Is Door to Door for kids or young adults? – The intended audience is adult, but I would say 13 and up would be okay. The main character is 30. Violence is not graphic and swearing is limited to “damn.” (With one “piss” showing up in a particularly threatening scene.) There are a couple of mildly “suggestive” scenes; what people see on TV is more revealing. So yeah, if I had a 13-year-old, I would let her read it, but the book is not YA (young adult).

Is it available as an ebook? – Yes! You can order the ebook from Amazon for $2.99. (Again, that is NOT an affiliate link.) A paperback version is also available and if you click the ebook link, you will see an option to switch to the paperback sale page.

Can I order it from other places? – After everything is set-up on Amazon, the next step is making sure that a global distribution center has the ebook and that they can produce the paperback as well. However, it will be up to libraries and book stores (chains like Barnes & Noble, independent stores, etc.) to decide if they want to carry the book. I will be doing some targeted marketing. We’ll see how that goes! Also, patrons can request that the book be carried at their library – let me know in a comment if you would like to be notified when info is available to provide to your library or local book store.

Do I have to have a Kindle to buy from Amazon? – No. You can download the free Kindle App to your laptop, your tablet, or even your smart phone. Then, register your device with your Amazon account. Then, order the ebook! 😃

Are you writing more? – Yes. I have already started on book two. The working title is Through the Door.

Will there be an audio version? – I never even thought of that until one of my former colleagues asked today. Turns out there are online services you can hire to create an audio book. Mr. Gordon sent me a link and it looks pretty cool. I have NO IDEA about cost, though. Maybe I can do it someday. I do like the idea.

How does pre-ordering help you at Amazon? – The more pre-orders the book receives, the more “weight” my book will carry in search returns. It’s a lot like Google, right? The more popular, relevant content rises up in returns.

No one asked this, heheh, but I’m going to pretend someone did. (When I used to interview cancer survivors for a non-profit newsletter, I always ended the interview with this question: What question should I have also asked?) So…

Tracy, how can I help you make this book launch successful? (grinning) 

• Pre-order the book. Order the book! 😀
• Tell others about it – please share the Amazon link https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LQWJSL3/ in your social media channels with an invite to your connections to check it out. (I’m not looking to be famous, just really successful in achieving this dream!)  🙂
• Share the link and information on your own blog or website.
• If you read the book and like it, please provide an honest review on Amazon. The review will help with my “rank” and also help other readers decide if they should purchase the book!

I think that about covers the questions I was asked. Do you have any?

So, THAT’s what I’ve been doing. Mr. Gordon and my good friend / beta reader Jill have been so supportive. They really helped me get to this place and space. It feels good – especially since I was feeling in such a funk. (Like many of us are in 2020!)

I have another post to share.

I have some photos and updates to share regarding Garden, Cook, Eat, Repeat and what’s going on here with gardens and chickens. Photos are uploaded, I just need to put the post together now. Maybe on Sunday?

Thanks for reading this long post and thanks to those who reached out – like YOU, Bekah – because you noticed I was a bit MIA. I know how lucky I am to have people who check-in!

Humbly yours,
Tracy