Amazon made book publishers extremely nervous two years ago when it launched its own New York publishing house. Traditional publishers had already worried about Amazon’s position as the single biggest book retailer, and now the company was becoming a publisher intent on expanding its reach into brick-and-mortar stores. Barnes & Noble has threatened to ban Amazon’s books from its chain of stores.
One huge advantage Amazon has is that its internal sales figures provide keen intelligence on exactly which up-and-coming authors have been most successful and, presumably, are likely to produce the next blockbuster. And one of the first authors Amazon’s mystery imprint Thomas & Mercer signed was Andrew E. Kaufman, who has spent the past couple of years shaking up the bestseller lists as a self-published author.
Andrew’s most recent thriller, The Lion, the Lamb, the Hunted, has climbed as high as #7 on the Kindle bestseller list, and it tops today’s Buffet.
Andrew lives in San Diego, and has spent most of his career as a TV newscaster. His writing style has a visual flair, and many readers feel that the scenes play out in their heads like a movie. As an author, portraying a character is often like performing as an actor, Andrew says. One thing the news business taught him was to use words sparingly, to pack the biggest punch into the most economical package.
With his recent success, many first-time authors ask Andrew for advice. One frequent question: Should an author query agents and editors first, or jump into self-publishing immediately?
When he finished his first manuscript Andrew went all-out looking for an agent because he was skeptical of the impact possible with self-publishing.
“I wanted more than anything to find an agent and publisher, but after receiving hundreds of rejections, I gave up,” he said. “Then, once e-publishing — specifically, the advent of the Kindle — came along, I decided to try that.”
Within a few years, he was making a decent living on his Kindle sales, and he enjoyed the feeling of control that self-publishing provides. And ultimately, his success in self-publishing attracted agents who were interested in finding him a substantial book contract.
Whatever decision an author makes, they should remember that the book industry is changing at lightning-fast speed. What works today might be old hat a few years from now, Andrew concludes.
As usual, each book listed here has gone FREE within the past 24 hours (except for the “Kindle Daily Deals” on page 3). Warning: Kindle book promotions can end without notice, so before downloading click the link “See Kindle price at Amazon” to verify that the book is still free. (Prices and availability may differ outside USA.)
The Lion, the Lamb, the Hunted: A Psychological Thriller
She only stepped out for a minute. But a minute was all it took to turn Jean Kingsley’s world upside down–a minute she’d regret for the rest of her life.
Because when she returned, she found an open bedroom window and her three-year-old son, Nathan, gone. The boy would never be seen again. A tip leads detectives to the killer, a repeat sex offender, and inside his apartment, a gruesome discovery. A slam-dunk trial sends him off to death row, then several years later, to the electric chair.
Justice was served. Or was it?
Now, more than thirty years later, Patrick Bannister unwittingly stumbles across evidence among his dead mother’s belongings–it paints her as the killer and her brother, a wealthy and powerful senator, as the one pulling the strings.
What really happened to Nathan Kingsley? There’s a hole in the case a mile wide, and Patrick is determined to close it. But what he doesn’t know is that the closer he moves toward the truth, the more he’s putting his life on the line, that he’s become the hunted. Someone’s hiding a dark secret and will stop at nothing to keep it that way.
The clock is ticking, the walls are closing, and the stakes are getting higher as he races to find a killer–one who’s hot on his trail. One who’s out for his blood.
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Invisible (An Ivy Malone Mystery Book #1): A Novel
Mystery & Thrillers
She’s not your average crime fighter. Ivy Malone has a curiosity that sometimes gets her into trouble, and it’s only aggravated by her discovery that she can easily escape the public eye. So when vandals romp through the local cemetery, she takes advantage of her newfound anonymity and its unforeseen advantages as she launches her own unofficial investigation.
Despite her oddball humor and unconventional snooping, Ivy soon becomes discouraged by her failure to turn up any solid clues. And after Ivy witnesses something ominous and unexplained, she can’t resist putting her investigative powers to work again. Even the authorities’ attempts to keep Ivy out of danger and her nosy neighbor’s match-making schemes can’t slow her down. But will the determination that fuels this persistent, quirky sleuth threaten her very safety?
Stuck in the Middle (Sister-to-Sister Book #1): A Novel
Religious Fiction
Joan Sanderson’s life is stuck. Her older sister, Allie, is starting a family and her younger sister, Tori, has a budding career. Meanwhile, Joan is living at home with Mom and looking after her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement. That is, until a hunky young doctor moves in next door. Suddenly Joan has a goal–to get a date. But it won’t be easy. Pretty Tori flirts relentlessly with him and Joan is sure that she can’t compete. But with a little help from God, Allie, and an enormous mutt with bad manners, maybe Joan can find her way out of this rut.
Bitter End (Seychelle Sullivan #3)
Sea Adventures
Seychelle didn’t see the sniper who picked Nick off at the helm of his yacht, but she knows that there are plenty of people in South Florida who wanted to see the gambling-boat tycoon dead: the Russian mobsters looking for a piece of his casino action, the Indian gamers who resent his competition, and the ecological activists fighting his plans to develop Fort Lauderdale’s waterfront. But it’s Molly whom the cops zero in on. And despite her bitter feelings and against her better judgment, when her back-from-the-blue friend asks for help, Seychelle can’t just weigh anchor and cruise. She’s got to dive in.
What she finds is a money-skimming scam aboard Nick’s flagship gambling boat, Nick’s new trophy wife turned merry rich widow, and Nick and Molly’s teenage son, a scared kid with a big secret . . . and a killer on his trail.
To Love Anew (Sydney Cove Book #1)
Religious Fiction
Hannah Talbot has no one. Forced to leave the only home she’s ever known, she works for a cruel employer who brutally takes the one thing she has left–her dignity. When she is banished from London, she is certain God has turned his back on her.
John Bradshaw was a successful businessman whose untamed spirit sometimes wanted more. When he is betrayed by those closest to him, he loses everything–his wife, his business, even his freedom. John’s and Hannah’s paths are about to cross. Aboard a ghastly, nineteenth-century prison ship from London to Australia, John and Hannah must keep hope alive and trust God’s unconditional love.
The Merry-Go-Round
Parenting & Families
- $2.99 List Price
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When Lauren divorces her husband, she has one thought on her mind…stepping off the merry-go-round. However, her life quickly turns into a three-ring circus: her hypochondriac father moves in, her ex is using her shower when she’s not home, and her perky assistant is pushing her out into the fearsome dating world. She also has to decide if the dilapidated barn and vintage merry-go-round she was awarded in the divorce settlement is a blessing or a bane.
Calling of Emily Evans, The (Women of the West Book #1)
Historical Fiction
She feels God nudging her toward ministry, but what options are there for a young single woman? Emily Evans has a hard time getting herself to class on time, much less figuring out God’s will for her life. Then, to her surprise, she feels that God is calling her into full-time Christian service. She expects the Lord will also provide her with a companion to share her life and ministry, but Emily does not want to marry any of the available young men. She squares her shoulders and decides she will accept the task of opening a new church in a pioneer community–alone.
Montana Morning (Kilbourne Clan)
Religious Fiction
Life on the Kilbourne Cattle Ranch will never be the same. Nestled in a remote Montana mountain valley, this has always been a peaceful place. Jack, his dad, Will, and Andy have always kept it simple – hard work and a feeling of contentment at the end of the day. They like it that way.
When Jack finds his long lost daughter, his life seems complete until tragedy strikes leaving him to raise an injured grandson he has never met. The men are definately going to need help.
Jack thinks he’s found just what the doctor ordered. What he doesn’t realize is the ‘sweet little lady’ is going to turn their lives upside down and inside out.
Saving Bobby
Families & Parenting
- $4.99 List Price
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When Bobby’s world came crashing down on his thirteenth birthday, he knew his life would never be the same again. After losing most of his family before ever becoming a teenager, Bobby was determined not to lose the only person who ever truly loved him and was always there for him—his mom. Struggling with the fear of losing his mother to cancer, Bobby takes it upon himself running away in search for a way to save her. Along Bobby’s journey, he meets Annie, a runaway. Together, they embark on a road where they both find a friendship that will last forever and the true meaning of God.
How Much Money Do I Need to Retire? (60 Minute Financial Solutions)
Business & Investing
It seems so simple, doesn’t it? Plug a few numbers into a retirement calculator and presto! You have an accurate answer for how much money you need to retire.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. The conventional approach used by experts to determine how much money you need to retire is fundamentally flawed. The worst part is you won’t even know it until it’s too late.
This book takes you behind the scientific facade of modern retirement planning. In one evening you can know more about how much money you need to retire than your financial adviser. This book is a practical, no-nonsense guide complete with a step-by-step plan that tells you how much money you need to retire with confidence. No retirement is secure without it.
California Man (Contemporary romance) (Salt Spring Island friends trilogy)
Contemporary Fiction
Quinn Ramsay is facing the biggest decision of his life: whether or not to sell his hugely successful sports conglomerate. His schedule has been insane for years, an endless series of trains, planes and automobiles. Even so he’s not so sure he wants to give it up. For what, he keeps asking himself. Where would he go from here? What would be his next step?
With those questions in mind, he heads to a friend’s house on Salt Spring, a small island in the Pacific Northwest that promises solitude and uninterrupted time to think and plan.
Not in his plan is meeting Emily Welland, the shy owner of the local bookstore. She intrigues him as no woman has in years—more so when he sees how determined she is to avoid him.
Just Evil (The Evil Trilogy Book One)
Mystery & Thrillers
Despite growing up together in their trendy Beverly Hills neighborhood, three best friends hide dark childhoods. The lives of Kit, Baylee and Quinn have been anything but perfect. Little do they know a stranger is about to unravel long, buried secrets, bringing the past back to life with a vengeance.
Kit Griffin has finally overcome a painful childhood at the hands of her mother, former actress Alana Stevens. No longer living in the grasp of the cold, tyrannical woman, Kit’s life is finally on track. That is, until Alana is found brutally murdered on Mother’s Day, pulling Kit back to the dark horrors of her past. To make matters worse, the police consider Kit the prime suspect.
Smart Mouth Waitress (Romantic Comedy) (Life in Saltwater City)
Romance
What Perry really wants, though, is her first boyfriend. She’s eighteen, and it’s about time!
Boyfriend candidates include: the cute but quiet restaurant regular, the all-too-willing coworker, or the outgoing artist who’s eager to whip off his clothes and model. One of these guys loves Perry exactly how she is, but how can she tell which one?
8 to Great: The Powerful Process for Positive Change
Advice & How-to
Mueller presents 8 simple steps that the happiest, healthiest and most successful have in common. Each year, Mueller brings 8 to Great to Fortune 500 businesses, health care organizations, colleges, high schools, associations and community groups. In this book, she shares not only her inspirational insights and heart-hitting anecdotes, but those from over 1,000 8 to Great certified trainers and over 100,000 participants around the world.
Roadmap Through Revelation
Religion & Spirituality
- $3.99 List Price
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Whether you are new to Revelation or have studied it for years, you will enjoy the short stories that bring Revelation to life. Experience the faceoff between the two witnesses and the Antichrist at the temple. Watch as a living, breathing statue commands the world to worship the Antichrist and receive his mark. Rejoice as the Messiah rescues His chosen people hiding within the rock city of Petra.
This book will help to answer your questions with an in-depth look at the three raptures, the seventy-five days between the Tribulation and the Millennium, the differences between the Red Dragon, the Beast of the Sea, and the Beast of the Earth, and Daniel’s Beast; as well as the history of Baal, Nimrod, and Babylon.
That Girl
Contemporary Fiction
Latoya Johnson’s in trouble. Her tainted past is catching up with her, literally putting her life on the line. As a living witness to murder set-up, she’s wanted by thugs and police alike. When the bounty on her head is set so high that even her friends can’t resist, Latoya realizes it’s time to bail. With her testimony needed to seal the deal, she’s damned if she do and damned if she don’t.
Murder At The Rocks (A Fitzjohn Mystery)
Mystery & Thrillers
- $2.99 List Price
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When Laurence Harford, a prominent businessman and philanthropist is found murdered in the historic Rocks area of Sydney, Detective Chief Inspector Fitzjohn is asked to solve the crime quickly and discreetly. After barely starting his investigation, uncovering a discarded mistress and disgruntled employees, a second killing occurs.
Meanwhile, Laurence’s nephew, Nicholas Harford, has his certainties in life shaken when he becomes a suspect in his uncle’s death, and receives a mysterious gold locket that starts a chain of events unravelling his family’s dark truths.
Whom God Would Destroy
Humor
- $2.99 List Price
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It’s 1987, and “God” has returned to Earth to goof on humanity once more. Equipped with a new message and a bell that makes people happy, he opens up a new age store, ready to have some fun. Fortunately, things don’t turn out quite like He’d planned.
Solomon’s Porch
Religious Fiction
Broken and alone, suffering through the consequences of his sin, Peter Carson is overwhelmed by pain and guilt as he sits in prison. The most unlikely of divine messengers, Peter is prophetically destined to provide the world with hope and miracles, to proclaim the kingdom of God at a time when the children of Adam have forgotten who they are. Satan is quick to strike back as his servants sow confusion and incite destruction. The world is balanced on a precipice, teetering between peace and war, love and hate, Christ and chaos.
Year 50
Science Fiction
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It has been almost 50 years since the planet was nearly rid of humans. Wildlife grows without restraint, erasing the metal and concrete structures left behind. Even where industrialization was most prominent, trees and grassland are aggressively reclaiming their land; Earth is pulling away the scab of human civilization.
A young woman named Calypso leads a team of Scavengers beyond the walls of Brighton, the last human colony. Her goal is to find medical supplies, necessary to preserve humanity’s future. It is a dangerous journey few have the training, ability, or psychological threshold to carry out.
A Fatal Verdict (The Trials of Sarah Newby)
Mystery & Thrillers
- $2.99 List Price
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What would you do if someone murdered your child, but the justice system let you down?
Kathryn Walters is faced with this dreadful decision when her daughter, Shelley, is found dead in a bath in her boyfriend’s flat. Despite the best efforts of the Crown Prosecution barrister, Sarah Newby, it seems likely that the boyfriend, David Kidd, will be acquitted. How should the investigating detective, Terry Bateson, act when it seems that the murdered girl’s mother is seeking revenge on the man he is certain killed Shelley in the first place?
… See the rest of today’s Editor’s Picks and the Kindle Daily Deal here on page 2
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