Excerpts

When you're out doing blog tours, interviews, and guest posts, it's great to have your newest book cover, your blurb and of course your author bio. But I think an excerpt of your book is just as important. Yes, your blurb should catch their interest. Your excerpt will reel them in.

But, what part should you pick? Something that'll give a good sense of your writing voice, your story, and that little hook that'll make them wanting more.

Short or long? Really I think that will depend on you. I like to keep it relatively short (because quite frankly, if they want to read the first chapter (if it's offered on Amazon) they can. I wouldn't make it so short, as in only a paragraph either (unless, of course, it's one heck of a paragraph!) And really, it depends on who's blog your on also.

For example, I'll post an excerpt of Boneknapper for you. This is where we first meet Kiyana Montreuil, the mother who has placed the Black Curse of Death upon my hero:

Kiyana Montreuil rocked in her chair out on the tiny balcony in the early morning dawn, huddled in her winter coat with her son’s favorite blue and yellow striped blanket lying over her legs. She didn’t care if anyone saw her these days. Her unkempt, dull hair used to shine, and she’d kept it in one long braid. Now what was left after radiation treatment hung limp matted from a lack of brushing. The wrinkles around her eyes and mouth confirmed she’d not been taking care of herself properly. Her clothing these days practically fell off her thinning frame. At one time not too long ago, she’d been healthy with beautiful curves and glowing skin. Now, her skin was ashen. She’d been feeling sixty instead than her true age of forty three.

She gripped the warm mug of Pepper Mint Tea, her hands shaking. She wanted to believe the cold caused it, but she knew better. Karma was hellish on those using Obeah, black magic, for evil or revenge.

She had set things in motion, and the cancer eating her insides was the steep price to pay. But, it would be worth it in the end. When first diagnosed six months earlier, she’d amused her husband with the radiation treatments. The tumor had been removed, but her doctor insisted on the treatments. Which hadn’t done her any good. The cancer had a mind of its own and spread like a wild fire. The radiation did no good. The doctor accessed her condition a couple of weeks into the treatment and found the cancer in her lymph system and bones. He’d given her four months. She fought for the last six to stay alive long enough to ensure each person had been cursed and died.

And her own suffering was all because the Gods had known what she’d been planning. And she of course had to pay to balance things out. This wasn’t revenge. The curse she’d placed on each of the four men had been the final justice for her precious son’s death. Her sweet baby.

Now, I don't know how interesting that was to you. Some may want to read more, others may not. If interested, I'm working on it, I promise!!

And for anyone who signs up for my newsletter during the month of April will be entered into a drawing for a $15 gift card good for B&N or Amazon (winner's choice) and a special prize package including my two ebooks, The Swan Cove Murders and Secrets of Jenkins Bridge.