Details of the KindleScout program itself were provided in my blog post titled"Authors. Meet KindleScout!"
In late 2015, I learned of a program for authors sponsored by Amazon’s Kindle division. Since Amazon was the leading sales point for books in the world then, and the carrot was a “guaranteed” contract with them, I investigated.
Sherry Frazier, my publicist at the time, encouraged me to finish the manuscript I was editing and submit it. Fortunately, as things turned out, I did not submit.
In August of this year (2017), I finished a different manuscript. Much shorter than the one that I didn’t submit, this is Volume 4 of the Traveler’s HOT L series.
It’s a tightly written time travel tale. Just before I submitted it, an acquaintance posted she was looking for reading material to end the summer. I offered the manuscript in return for a review.
She agreed.
I sent her the 234-page manuscript at noon on August 2.
I got this from her at 9:29 p.m.
Oh my goodness!! I'm halfway through and I already want to watch the movie hahahaha!!! This is so GOOD!!
I got this on August 4.
Patterns on Pages Book Review
I gave myself a week to read this book (a little here, a little there when I had time) and finished it in one day. It grabs you from page 1 and keeps up the pace the entire length of the book. I have read plenty of fiction in my time but this series (Traveler’s HOT L) is very original. This story stands alone and is easily understandable without the background from the first three books in the series. The characters are likeable and believable. I found myself rooting for all of them. Lincoln and Marin are very genuine in their curiosity to figure out the mystery of the patterns. The story is easy to follow and definitely keeps you wondering what will happen next. I couldn’t put it down and, now that I have finished, I am ready for the next book.
C.R. Downing is known for his talent at describing a scientific concept in a way that anyone can understand. These concepts are woven into the story in a way that you almost don’t even realize you are learning a bit of science along the way. His use of scientific knowledge and creativity bring this story a credibility many novels lack. If you have the time, set aside several hours to read this all at once. You will be glad you did.
Bolstered by this wonderful reviw, I filled out the extensive—not hard, just long—application. (See "Authors. Meet KindleScout!") After removing an image they don’t support in the sample they post, I submitted my manuscript on August 8. This is their response.
I hoped they had “a ton of submissions” so I’d have a week or so to spread the word and beg for nominations. Apparently, they didn’t.
Since the timeline was set, I reached out to a time travel blogger/reviewer, Paul Wandason. His website, www.time2timetravel.com is devoted to all things time travel related.
Paul reviewed the original Traveler’s HOT L and was impressed by the time travel mechanism I devised. Here are the opening paragraphs of that review.
No, there’s no missing “E” to make “hotel” – the “HOT L” is the “Harmonious Overlap of Time Location” and is the backbone of the brilliant time travel mechanism which is described most fully in the first short story. The following stories refer back to this – and even build upon it in some cases.
Time is described as a fabric which consists of interweaving threads and which can fold over itself. Time can also be considered as a pool which suffers ripples. Such imagery is used fully and allows for some wonderful reasoning behind why (and how) characters travel in time. It’s one of the best descriptors of time that I’ve read and is definitely the high point of this collection!
In his review, he commented negatively on the lack of time travel focus on several of the stand-alone short stories in the collection. At his request, I did a written interview published on his site.
I emailed him, reintroduced myself, and asked if he had time to pre-release review a new volume of the HOT L series. I figured I had a chance at a review of Patterns on Pages because it intentionally fixed the areas he found lacking in the first book.
I explained about the KindleScout campaign and that I’d like to use his review in what publicity I could generate during the campaign. He agreed.
He finished the book he was reading when I contacted him and attacked Patterns at full steam. I did what I could in the meantime.
On August 25, I got this in an email.
Hi Chuck,
Wow! This is an easy 5 stars!!!!! Absolutely brilliant, loved every bit of it! :)
I'll need some time to get my notes together and my review written up and posted (I'll send you the link once that's done) and shorter versions on Amazon and Goodreads (and anywhere else, if you let me know).
Here's the full review. It's more than "Wow!"
I was a happy author.
For a time.
Next Authors post is My KindleScout Experience The Campaign
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