I wish there
was a magic formula on how to engage your reader-base, but I suppose if that
were the case then every single book would be a best seller. It’s pretty hard
to know what books will resonate and what books will just fall by the wayside.
My new book SNEAKING OUT is published by an independent small publisher,
(Dunemere Books) and not one of the major conglomerate publishers, which makes
it extra hard to gain traction. But we like to think of ourselves as the little
engine that could and keep on trying.
I think you
have to write an honest book, first and foremost. My story is about a murder at
a boarding school and I try and keep it as legit as possible. When I was young
and the Charlie Brown/Peanuts shows were on (usually just as holiday specials)
it always bothered me that the adults didn’t have real voices and they spoke in
this weird gibberish. It actually scared me. Where were the authority figures?
So with SNEAKING OUT, I made sure there are adults around reminding the kids
that although this terrible thing happened, they weren’t being left alone at
the school at the mercy of a killer on the loose. I want it based in
reality, but that doesn’t mean that Luke Chase, my protagonist who is sixteen,
isn’t the one who’s going to help solve the crime. It is fiction after all. And
nowadays, teenagers seem to be the ones changing the world.
In terms of
trying to get the word out, we enlisted ‘Junior Ambassadors’ to be early
readers and use their social media forum of choice to let people know about the
book. Through friends and our websites and Dunemere’s social media platforms we
invited anyone under the age of eighteen to join our Ambassador program. On pub
date, we randomly selected two of them as winners of Amazon gift cards ($250
each; not shabby!) Our ambassadors did a great job and many got their friends
and even their school libraries to order the book.
Blog tours
are the best, also. It has been great connecting with so many avid readers
around the country (and abroad) and I am so impressed by the questions that I
am asked. I would not have any idea what to ask even my favorite writer there
have been very creative and original queries as I move from blog to blog. It
has even helped me come up with ideas for the next book. I appreciate all of
the interest and support and am grateful that I had the chance to connect with
so many people. Thanks so much and I hope you like the book.
SNEAKING OUT
Title: SNEAKING OUT
Author: Chuck Vance
Pub. Date: March 6, 2018
Publisher: Dunemere Books
Pages: 404
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Could you sleep next to a murderer?
Luke Chase—yes, that Luke Chase, a modern hero ripped from the headlines—didn’t mean to get caught up in Mrs. Heckler’s murder. He just wanted to hook up with the hot new British girl at St. Benedict’s, and if that meant sneaking out to the woods after hours, then so be it. But little did he know someone would end up dead right next to their rendezvous spot, and his best friend and roommate Oscar Weymouth would go down for it. With suspects aplenty and a past that’s anything but innocent, Luke Chase reluctantly calls on his famous survival skills to find the true killer.
For fans of “A Study in Charlotte” and boarding school lit, “Sneaking Out” (book one in the “Chased” series) immerses readers in the privileged prep school world, with a mystery that exposes the dark side of life on a residential high school campus.
About Chuck:
Chuck Vance is a pseudonym for a bestselling writer of both
adult mysteries and novels for young adults. Vance attended
boarding school in Connecticut and graduated from Columbia
University. Vance has lived in New York, Moscow, London,
Paris and Los Angeles and is frequently on the move.
Website | Goodreads
adult mysteries and novels for young adults. Vance attended
boarding school in Connecticut and graduated from Columbia
University. Vance has lived in New York, Moscow, London,
Paris and Los Angeles and is frequently on the move.
Website | Goodreads
Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive a finished copy of SNEAKING OUT & a $30 Amazon GC, US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
Week Two:
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