Today I’m delighted to welcome Wendy H. Jones - Author of the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries to talk about her new release Killer’s Craft, the second book in the DI Shona MacKenzie series.
Juliet, thank you so much for welcoming me to your blog once more. It truly is a pleasure to be here. Many of your readers may already have heard of me. However, here is a little bit for those whom I have not yet met.
I come from a military background having served in both the Royal Navy and the Army as a nurse. I have also worked in Academia and have published academic textbooks and articles. I have travelled extensively, both in the military and under my own steam. Three years ago I left the rat race and moved back to Dundee, Scotland, to start writing crime books. My books, starring DI Shona McKenzie, are set in the City and the surrounding area.
Writing crime books has been a wild ride. The first book in the series, Killer’s Countdown, was released in November 2014, and was warmly received. It achieved Amazon bestseller status in both the UK and the USA. The launch at Waterstones, Dundee, was so much fun. The launch for the second book in the series, Killer’s Craft, takes place today, 20th July, 2015. So today I would like to talk to your readers about book launches.
There are different ways to do a book launch; they can either be virtual or physical. I made the decision to hold a physical launch, as I wanted to involve the local community. The first step in holding a launch is to find premises. This does not have to be a bookshop but can be any building. I know authors who have held launches in many different places such as churches, community halls, gardens, café’s, and community theatres. The possibilities are endless. Another example that comes to mind; Dundee has two beautiful historic ships. If either of these were in my book then I could opt to hold the launch in these venues if they were amenable. It is important to think outside the box.
I approached Waterstones and asked if they would be willing to hold a launch. They were amenable to the idea and agreed. They wanted an idea of numbers, initially thinking as a new author there may not be enough people to make it viable. Then they thought there would be too many. In the end it all worked out well. There was food and drinks, all those who came enjoyed themselves, and the shop sold a lot of books. I am looking forward to tonight’s event. and am sure it will be equally as exciting.
Before I here’s a little taste of DI Shona McKenzie, and what you can expect from Killer’s Craft. Shona, is feisty, funny, tenacious and does not respect authority. She does whatever she can to catch the killer, whilst still staying vaguely on the side of legal. Her relationship with her boss is, shall we say complex and leave it there. So to the book
‘The bodies lie, quiet and still, in a perfect black and white tableau, no longer able to sing their praise to the heavens. A thick, malevolent silence cloaks the scene. Not a word is uttered, not a sound made. One deadly twist, introduces them to Charon, the aged ferryman who waits to carry the dead to the other side. That is if you believe such myths. Killer, of course, does not.
The faint glow of a nightlight provides just enough illumination to a monochrome image portrayed in its purest form. Killer, seeming nothing but a shadow, gazes in wonder before slipping from the room.’
So opens Killer’s Craft. Thank you once again for inviting me along, Juliet. I wish you all the best with your own books, and I hope your readers have found this helpful.
Website: http://www.wendyhjones.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-H.-Jones/e/B00OABSKH0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendyhjonesauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WendyHJones
Juliet, thank you so much for welcoming me to your blog once more. It truly is a pleasure to be here. Many of your readers may already have heard of me. However, here is a little bit for those whom I have not yet met.
I come from a military background having served in both the Royal Navy and the Army as a nurse. I have also worked in Academia and have published academic textbooks and articles. I have travelled extensively, both in the military and under my own steam. Three years ago I left the rat race and moved back to Dundee, Scotland, to start writing crime books. My books, starring DI Shona McKenzie, are set in the City and the surrounding area.
Writing crime books has been a wild ride. The first book in the series, Killer’s Countdown, was released in November 2014, and was warmly received. It achieved Amazon bestseller status in both the UK and the USA. The launch at Waterstones, Dundee, was so much fun. The launch for the second book in the series, Killer’s Craft, takes place today, 20th July, 2015. So today I would like to talk to your readers about book launches.
There are different ways to do a book launch; they can either be virtual or physical. I made the decision to hold a physical launch, as I wanted to involve the local community. The first step in holding a launch is to find premises. This does not have to be a bookshop but can be any building. I know authors who have held launches in many different places such as churches, community halls, gardens, café’s, and community theatres. The possibilities are endless. Another example that comes to mind; Dundee has two beautiful historic ships. If either of these were in my book then I could opt to hold the launch in these venues if they were amenable. It is important to think outside the box.
I approached Waterstones and asked if they would be willing to hold a launch. They were amenable to the idea and agreed. They wanted an idea of numbers, initially thinking as a new author there may not be enough people to make it viable. Then they thought there would be too many. In the end it all worked out well. There was food and drinks, all those who came enjoyed themselves, and the shop sold a lot of books. I am looking forward to tonight’s event. and am sure it will be equally as exciting.
Before I here’s a little taste of DI Shona McKenzie, and what you can expect from Killer’s Craft. Shona, is feisty, funny, tenacious and does not respect authority. She does whatever she can to catch the killer, whilst still staying vaguely on the side of legal. Her relationship with her boss is, shall we say complex and leave it there. So to the book
‘The bodies lie, quiet and still, in a perfect black and white tableau, no longer able to sing their praise to the heavens. A thick, malevolent silence cloaks the scene. Not a word is uttered, not a sound made. One deadly twist, introduces them to Charon, the aged ferryman who waits to carry the dead to the other side. That is if you believe such myths. Killer, of course, does not.
The faint glow of a nightlight provides just enough illumination to a monochrome image portrayed in its purest form. Killer, seeming nothing but a shadow, gazes in wonder before slipping from the room.’
So opens Killer’s Craft. Thank you once again for inviting me along, Juliet. I wish you all the best with your own books, and I hope your readers have found this helpful.
Website: http://www.wendyhjones.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-H.-Jones/e/B00OABSKH0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendyhjonesauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WendyHJones