Guest post: "In the Sugar Bowl," by Julie Ann James, author of IRISH JEWEL

To write your book is an amazing accomplishment and a challenge to say the least, but what should an author do once it’s finished and in your hands. That is the scariest most intimidating thing to do is to promote your own book. I am thinking that is why authors take so long in the process and continue to write and re-write their chapters it is because they are prolonging the inevitable marketing and promotion of their books.

The ultimate goal for most writers is to get their books into the hands of their readers; however it is way up there on the scary part of the writing and publishing process. You might compare it to going to a scary movie and keeping one eye open as you never know what you might see or hear. We all want the kudos of course and the positive feedback, however an author cannot get that unless they put themselves them out there. Promotion is the key!

There are many little tricks of the trade to get the word out about your book and a few that I can suggest are simple as designing a business card or a bookmark. I am notorious for placing my bookmarks in the pocket on an airplane in hopes someone will find it and order many putting me way up there on the best seller list. I have also placed my business cards in the sugar bowl at a restaurant letting it stick up just far enough for someone to notice.  One just never knows who might be looking for a mystery novel to read or recommend to a friend. And being in the sugar bowl just sweetened the deal.

 Title:  IRISH JEWEL

Genre: Suspense

Author:  Julie Ann James

Website:  www.peppertreepublishing.com

Publisher: www.peppertreepublishing.com

Find out more on Amazon

About the Book:

When Irish Jewel opens, bride-to-be Amy Reid is living out a fairy tale.  She’s engaged to be married to the love of her life, Michael Cambridge, an Irishman. Michael, a member of one of Dublin’s most  prominent families and heir to the Cambridge precious gem business, is everything a girl could dream of—and more.   He’s handsome, loving, charming, smart, successful, and, as icing on the wedding cake, Amy and Michael will be married in an elaborate ceremony in Dublin. This lavish, spare-no-expense event will be an exquisite dream-come-true-affair—a beautiful beginning to their lives together.

But this dream-come-true quickly turns into a nightmare:  what begins as a vague threat quick escalates into something much more sinister. On the eve of what should be the happiest day of her life, Amy is quickly swept up in an insidious web of danger, kidnapping, and murder.

When long buried truths emerge and dark secrets come to light, this fairy tale will be irretrievably fractured.  Nothing is as it seems—and the only way to win this deadly game is to get out alive. But the odds are stacked against Michael and Amy.  Will they even live to see “till death us do part”? Expect the unexpected in this twisted tale...  

About the Author

Julie Ann James is an avid speaker and author who penned her first book at the age of 10. In 2003, Julie Ann founded Pepper Tree Magazine, a literary magazine based in Sarasota, Florida, and later founded The Peppertree Press.  A longtime Sarasota resident, Julie Ann is also the author of The Pepper Tree Story: How the Seeds were Planted, Finnigan the Dragon, It’s Rhyming Peas and Carrots, The Tooth be Told, The Cows in the Garden and and Haunted Echoes.