One of the toughest things to do for any author is to split time between writing and promotion. I have to admit, I’m not the best at promoting my work. I would much rather write than promote, and I’d rather be at sales and signing events than promote. Though I guess selling and signing my books is part of promotion.
There are several things I do to promote my work. One is to solicit reviews from trusted authors and bloggers. I’ve been fortunate to have several “go to” people who will read and review my work, and I do the same for them. Each is a talented and gifted author in their own right, and to have them not only read my work and then write a review is quite an achievement. I value their opinion, and fortunately, they’ve given me great reviews.
A second thing I do is hop on a blog tour. These are average, ordinary folks who would describe themselves as bookworms. They enjoy reading and writing about what they read. My book, Fan Mail, will be on two different blog tours closer to publication day, March 30, 2023.
A third thing I do is pay for a book trailer. A book trailer is similar to a movie trailer, and it will run about a minute or so and give the highlights of the plot of a book to encourage readers to purchase my book.
Literary Titan is a company that has done book trailers for each of my books. Their work is impressive. The link to the book trailer for Fan Mail is below. I hope you take a peek at it and let me know what you think.
Book Trailer for Fan Mail:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/MS5VjTzCvM4
Literary Titan: https://wp.me/p3cyvH-dj5
I also seek reviews from respected and trusted organizations and companies that review books. Some of them have contests associated with them, and that is an added bonus. I’ve been fortunate enough to land not only highly rated and great reviews for my work, but I’ve walked away with awards. I think at last count, I’m up to fifteen and counting. In fact, in the next day or week, I will have a terrific announcement for one of my books that just blew me away. More to come with that.
One such company that does reviews and has a contest associated with it is Readers’ Favorite. I reached out to them and entered their contest with Fan Mail, and the reviews by three different reviewers are below. Each reviewer highlighted a different aspect of Fan Mail, which was something I liked about them. One talks about one character, Brian. One talks about the family structure, while a third talks about the intense plot. All three nailed my intentions and the themes of the book when I wrote it, and I’m more than pleased with them. They are below, so read them over and let me know what you think.
Review #1: Review by Vincent Dublado
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers’ Favorite
Fan Mail by Joseph Lewis is a compelling coming-of-age tale that crosses the suspense genre with an LGBTQ theme. They say blood is thicker than water, but could it apply to Brian, who is an adopted child? His foster siblings, Randy and Bobby, along with their fellow band member and best friend, Danny, receive fan mail that becomes increasingly threatening. They don’t pay attention to it until the sender notches up the game, causing the boys to spiral into a world of danger and taking its toll on their friendship. There might be jealousy involved, but the boys never imagined that it would be taken to such an extreme. Brian has already saved the lives of his brothers once during an unforgettable event in Arizona that left him with a deep emotional scar. Will he risk his life for them once again, now that someone out there is making wrong choices that disrupt the lives of the people he loves?
Some stories remain with you for a while and others for a lifetime. Fan Mail is likely to endure, as it is the type of novel that becomes popular by word of mouth. The plot grabs your attention, and it will not let you go until the last page. It’s the kind of story that is perfect for a film adaptation to draw a mass audience of young adults. It is very much a part of the obsession or stalker film genre, which is truly creepy because it is a type of horror that exists in real life. It has a touching message to the young about the importance of family, which is conveyed effectively as Joseph Lewis devotes time to exploring his characters. The climax works rather well. There are many reasons why you should read this book.
Review #2: Review by Keith Mbuya
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Keith Mbuya for Readers’ Favorite
The recent events seemed too much for Jeremy, a counselor at Waukesha North High School, Milwaukee, to handle, causing him to suffer a heart attack and be hospitalized. Two of his seven sons were receiving threats through the mail, demanding that they quit a music band they had joined called Bits and Pieces. He also discovers secrets about five of his adopted sons that threaten to break his family apart. Jeremy and his wife had involved the local detectives to investigate the threats. The detectives find three leads during their inquiries, all involving Danny, the leader of Bits and Pieces, and his father Jeff, a successful author. Previously, the boys had survived an explosion after a soccer match at a local stadium in Milwaukee. The results of the investigations show that the explosion had targeted Jeff. Did all this have anything to do with the author and will the detectives solve the mystery? Find out more in Fan Mail by Joseph Lewis.
Joseph Lewis hatches an engrossing plot in this enthralling read. He anchors the storyline on a tale of teenage drama, family, relationships, love, passion, envy, and secrets. The cast’s conflicts are built on real-life themes, ranging from parenthood to sexual orientation. Fan Mail is like a mirror held up to contemporary society, brilliantly reflecting and portraying our lives, struggles, troubles, delicate relationships, and so much more. His vivid depictions excited my imagination and made the reading entrancing. Lewis kept me on edge with suspense and drama. His brilliant way of bringing out the characters’ qualities made the reading experience feel like being on a rollercoaster of intense emotions. This made it easy for me to connect, empathize with, and experience the individual lives of the large cast. Some of the scenes left me hurt, while others made my heart melt with joy.
Review #4: Review by Grace Ruhara
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Grace Ruhara for Readers’ Favorite
Fan Mail by Joseph Lewis is a dramatic and thrilling novel that will juggle your emotions between excitement and sympathy. It is also a clear reflection of an ideal family set-up consisting of fights, laughter and, most importantly, love. An anonymous fan has been sending rude and life-threatening letters to Danny, Bobby, and Randy, who are part of a band. The letters stress the family members to the extent of causing their father, Jeremy, to have a heart attack. A month before the heart attack, there had been a car bomb explosion that the detectives feared might be linked to the letters. Who could this anonymous and daring person be? What is their next move? Do they end up hurting more people, or are they caught before the next sinister action?
There are so many aspects I liked about Fan Mail by Joseph Lewis. Among them is the dialogue. I empathized with the characters’ emotions, feelings, and thoughts from the conversations. They were so intense that I found myself almost crying. I also liked the development of Brian’s character as caring, a leader with a selfless nature, and a loving brother. Despite being hurt by his brothers, he lets go of his feelings and brings them together in the most devastating times. He calms them down and tries to be strong for them. The fact that he is always ready to risk his life to save his brothers is commendable. This is an interesting character that I would like to emulate. Lewis is a tremendous storyteller and I recommend this novel to readers who love thrillers, family dramas, and police investigations, since it includes all three. It will have them entertained in every scene.
I hope you enjoyed the book trailer and the reviews for Fan Mail. Please let me know what you think. In case you’re interested, I’ve put the preorder link below. If you use the code, you get 15% off the purchase price.
Once again, thanks for stopping by and giving my blog a look. Until next time …
Purchase Fan Mail prior to the publication date of March 30, 2023, and use the promo code: PREORDER2023 to receive a 15% Discount! https://www.blackrosewriting.com/thrillers/fanmail
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