An Ode to Blogs and Bloggers
A true ode would be in verse and I toyed with the idea, quickly abandoning it in order to spare the reader. Yet, the feeling behind the thought is very real—the desire to pay a special kind of tribute to something so new and so valuable, both for writers and readers.
My first book in the Faith Fairchild series, The Body in the Belfry, came out in 1990. I was dependent on word of mouth, St. Martin’s sales force (wonderful!) and conventions, particularly Malice Domestic, to reach people who might like to read the book. I began to receive and reply to snail mail. Over the years thanks to all the above, and especially thanks to independent bookstores, I did build a readership. I was and am not a Luddite, particularly with a son in IT, but I could never have envisioned using my keyboard for the kind of opportunities to connect with readers blogs afford. Quite simply, I love it.
Being asked to write a guest blog, with or without suggested questions, always makes me pause and think about what I am writing and what I have written. It’s a stock taking time. And yes, blogs have improved sales, particularly for eBook versions, but all across the board from hardcover to audio.
Blogs are very personal. I feel as if I have gotten to know each individual blogger over time. I am always pleased that they like the books—happily all still in print—enough to welcome me into their own corner of cyberspace. I read blogs and discover new authors. What goes around comes around!
I am currently working on The Body in the Casket, which is a bit of an homage to the British country house mystery. Faith is catering a long weekend birthday bash thrown for himself by a famous, now retired, Broadway producer. It will be out in Fall 2017. Meanwhile I have been gratified at the response to The Body in the Wardrobe, set both in Aleford and Savannah, Georgia with a major role played by Sophie whom readers met in The Body in the Birches. The mass market version of Wardrobe goes on sale soon, in December.
So blog on, dear bloggers, with many thanks and best wishes!
Katherine