It’s All About the Covers, the Blurbs, and the Keywords!

Sometimes we need to make changes. This year, I made a few changes of my own, I lost twenty pounds, and believe me, that wasn’t easy. Then, I got new glasses, permed my hair to give it lift and body, and recently decided to wash away the gray and colored my hair the way I used to twelve years ago. I also decided to bite the bullet and learn more about promotion.

I recently took a course in self-promotion using Amazon Ads and discovered that people do indeed judge books by their covers. When readers are looking for a book, they will use keywords to generate a list, then when Amazon provides the titles in the genre and area they’re interested in, it’s the cover first and blurb next that makes them decide to buy and read a book. If all the stars align, it works well; if they don’t, then changes have to be made. All of my books available as ebooks are in Kindle Unlimited.

While the author’s name alone will generate some sales for them, the cover is the ticket. The second thing I’ve learned is that readers like books in series. Books can be linked in series in several ways. They can have the same charcters, the same setting, or the same theme.

For example, my Harvester Files, The White Carnation, The White Lily, The White Iris, and The White Dahlia have similar covers and titles and should be read in order to get the most out of the series. The covers are dark, and eerie, befittng the stories. If you look closely, the covers have two men and two women on them, depicting the main “hunter” in each story.

Each book, while an individual strory, contains recurring characters, but what links them is the fact that in each book, the detectives are on the hunt for a vicious serial killer, each of them controlled by a cult leader with his own plans for the future. In each book, the team gets one step closer, the titles are explained, and someone gets a happily ever after. Writing thrillers takes a lot out of an author, so I generally add a few lighter stories in between.

Among my lighter pieces are my contemporary romances. Here are five of my six Cocktails for You series books, Tequila Sunrise, Champagne Cocktail (a Christmas book not pictured), Buck’s Fizz, The Tipsy Pig, Make Mine a Manhattan, and Emerald Glow, These books can be read in any order. The first three books are novellas, shorter than the later ones. The seventh book, Sea Breeze is currently being written, and will be available in paperback in early March, with the ebook out in the fall. The eighth, Pumpkin Spice will be available in paperback in August and in ebook in October These books, all based on a particular cocktail, are written in the first person, the only series of mine that is. They are contemporary romantic comedies, some sweet, others spicy. Each is a slice of life for the heroines as they search for and find their Mr. Rights. While some get happily ever afters, each gets a happy for now! Unlike my darker suspense novels, the plots are shorter and more linear. If you’re looking for a feel good story, then these are the books for you.

Following on the heels of my Harvester Files series is the Vengeance Is Mine Series. On His Watch, Fire Angel, In Plain Sight, No Good Deed, and Secrets and Lies, are all standalone stories that can be read in any order. These books are linked by the theme. In each book, the antagonist is out for revenege, and it’s up to the protagonist to keep the heroine from meeting the fate the villain is intending for her. These books are complex novels, with disturbing story lines designed to keep you on the edge of your seat. In each book, the hero and heroine face what seem to be insurmountable odds as they deal with injuries that change them in some way. dealing with imperfect heroes who will do whatever they can to protect the women they’ve come to love. A disgruntled FBI agent, an arson investigator, a blind pianist, a washed up police detective, and a high school principal–unlikely heroes who prove that good and love do triumph in the end.

While writing those books, I wrote lighter contempoaray romance to cleanse my soul. After my ad course, I realized these books needed a makeover and i gave them one, carefully examining what made these books a series, From that examination came my newest series An All For Love Book, which links some of my contemporary romances together. The books are Just For the Weekend, Wedding Bell Blues, The Blue Dragon, Forever and Always, and Same Time Next Year. What links these stories are their themes–each is a second chance at love story, complicated by secrets that could destroy their relationshps. Here’s the series blurb: Falling in love isn’t always easy, and for the couples in these books, the road to happiness is often complicated and filled with misunderstanding that can last days, weeks, months, years, or even decades. But in the end, love triumphs.

These books can be read in any order, and they are all looking good in their shiny new covers and revamped blurbs. The sixth book in the series, Royal Flush is available in paperback only for now, but the ebook is on pre-order, with its release date set for the end of May. The seventh book, Trouble With Eden will be available in paperback in April and as an ebook in August.

I have other collections available, some hoistories and other holiday romances. You can find links to all of these and more books on my website. https://mhsusannematthews.ca/

If you have read one or more of my books, take the time to review them on Amazon. Reviews make a huge difference to the life and popularity of a book.