The Secret in the Wall: Preparing for release day

On February 15, 2022, the eighth book in my Silver Rush historical mystery series, THE SECRET IN THE WALL, officially descends upon the world.

Here's a little teaser for you:

Former saloon owner Inez Stannert is trying her best to keep her colorful Leadville, Colorado, life behind her and to provide a respectable home and upbringing for her teenage ward, Antonia. Now the owner of a small music shop in San Francisco, Inez can’t seem to steer clear of mayhem as murder victims literally come out of the woodwork. She’ll have to figure out how to lose the bones and keep the gold.

Now, a confession: When I turned in my draft to the editor in late 2020, the pub date seemed soooo far away. Plenty of time to re-group and prepare, I thought. But 2021 disappeared in a haze. Maybe because the year didn't turn out at all like I thought it would (I'm sure I'm not alone in that). Maybe because other projects consumed me. Whatever the reason, 2022 arrived awfully fast and (yikes!) I realized I really should be preparing some promotion.

But what?

In the past (and we're talking long past, given that the first book in the series, SILVER LIES, came out in 2003), I would have already set up appearances at bookstores, and be preparing for upcoming conferences and buying out candy from See's and/or Ghirardelli's to hand out along with bookmarks.

However, this time, I'm pretty much glued to my chair in front of my computer.

Luckily, the book already has several things going for it, thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, which has been busy doing things behind the mystery-marketing curtain, including sending out e-ARCs hither and yon. First, a lovely cover quote from USA Today bestselling author Audrey Blake: "Intricately plotted and intriguingly cast, this richly detailed historical mystery captivates and will leave you wishing for more. This smart, fiercely independent sleuth is pure delight.” Plus, the book has received positive reviews from review publications Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and The Historical Novel Review. 

So, I started racing around (virtually), intent on doing my part. So far, I've done this:

• In the February issue of the International Thrillers Writers emagazine, The Big Thrill, I'm interviewed by author Charlie Cochran.
• I have an essay in Janet Rudolph's Mystery Readers Journal about the cold case that was the initial "spark" for the book.
• There's a Great Escapes blog tour with Dollycas that will run from February 15–28.

• I hit on the idea of recording short videos of me reading the first chapter and posting those on my Facebook author page, starting February 1 and finishing up on February 15. So, I've been trudging through that, with the help of my cat (see my DAY 4 recording for a guest appearance by the #DivaMissMia).

#DivaMissMia loves to "help."

• Finally, I contacted my local independent bookstore, Towne Center Books, and they arranged for people to order signed, personalized copies through them, using this link.

At this point, my mind went into a whirl: What about Instagram, and Twitter, and TikTok, and... and... 

I realized I could drive myself crazy with all the social platforms. Sure, I'd like to experiment with some of them and might tinker a bit with one or another through February. However, there is the day job to deal with. And, oh yes, shouldn't I be writing the next book??

So, I'm taking a deep breath and reminding myself to enjoy the ride. It's always a special day when a book is born!

If you're a writer, I'd love to know what worked for you, promotion-wise. And if you're a reader (and really, writers are readers too, right?), it would be great to hear your thoughts on all this.

In the meantime, I'll be recording my little videos, writing guest blog posts, and trying to keep my cat from stepping on the keyboard as I do.

Ann Parker authors the award-winning Silver Rush historical mystery series published by Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks. During the day, she wrangles words for a living as a science editor/writer and marketing communications specialist (which is basically a fancy term for "editor/writer"). Her midnight hours are devoted to scribbling fiction. Visit AnnParker.net for more information.