JULY 2023
During my years in software development, I had a reputation for trying to avoid getting involved in sales and for not liking the reps. It wasn’t entirely true. I occasionally tried to explain that, for me and my team, new customers only meant an impossible workload that came with no extra money. And yet I have to admit that when management bought up a competitor with a much more impressive customer base (better to buy than to compete?) it was our section they closed down. Damn!
And here I am, ten years later, trying to sell a novella (no longer even at the special launch price!) after giving away a full-length novel last month, which – if you read to the end of it – included a link to download this one as a freebie as well!!! All in all, not smart marketing!
But that’s what the readers club is all about. And, looking at things from my side of the relationship, it’s simply a case of trying to write a story (or even more than one) that makes you think, ‘I really liked that book – I must go into Amazon and leave a review!’ Fortunately, unlike my previous experiences in sales, it isn’t a question of trying to stop you buying anyone else’s books instead of mine.
Anyway, in case you missed out on the free version of Not Quite Blackmail Material, and you fancy imagining yourself on the sizzling Costa del Sol, confronting Russian mafia bosses and their henchmen, not to mention the mysterious ‘Ginger’ in his first appearance, this is another chance!
And that’s all for this month. With soaring temperatures all around and the island of Rhodes in flames, I’m reminded that I originally imagined a future Andalusia converted into a complete desert and occupied by the Moroccans, changing my mind only at the last minute and opting for the Russians and the old cliché of the ‘Costa del Crime’. To be honest, it’s not the way I remember Marbella at all. So, I think I’ll just pour myself a cold beer and dream of all the things I still love about the place. Sometimes there’s nothing for it but to pine for a while …
Less pining next time. Happy reading out there, and don’t forget your beach umbrella!
bookmarked!!, I love your website!