Newsletter Easter Eggs

Many, many years ago, when I helped edit Flesh & Blood magazine, I came up with this idea of easter egg haikus. Basically, every issue would feature a haiku by a top horror writer. The writer's name would not appear on the cover or even the table of contents. There would be no announcement that the writer had a haiku in the issue. The haiku would just be hidden among the pages waiting for readers to find it.

I forget how many haikus we ended up doing. I know we published haikus by Douglas Clegg and Ramsey Campbell. I think we also published some by Tim Lebbon and Edward Lee. There may have been a few more, but the magazine folded not too long after. 

Anyway, I always liked that idea, and recently I've been thinking what I could add to my newsletter to make it more than just me pimping a new book or story. After all, these days every writer has a newsletter, and for good reason. It's one of the best ways to communicate with readers. But with so many newsletters out there, it's difficult to set yours apart from everyone else's. Especially when the cold hard reality is that, on average, half the people who sign up for an author's newsletter almost never even open them.

And so, taking a cue from the me of many, many years ago, I decided to add easter eggs into my newsletter. 

The past week I've been telling people that I'm going to soon send out a new newsletter, and that if they're Brian Keene fans they might want to sign up. Some asked why they would want to sign up for my newsletter if they were Brian Keene fans. Well, I couldn't really tell them, could I? That would ruin the surprise. Fact is, I probably shouldn't have even said anything at all. But as this is the first time it's happening, I thought it would be a good idea to give everyone a heads up. 

The newsletter just went out and included an excerpt of a work-in-progress of Brian's called The Complex, which should be completed sometime later this year. Right now, the only place anybody can view the excerpt is in my newsletter. 

I plan on doing similar stuff in the future. I only send out a handful of newsletters every year, so I can't guarantee every newsletter will include exclusive content by another author (at the most I try to highlight books by other writers I've enjoyed), but at least once or twice a year a newsletter will feature an original short story, poem, essay, or novel excerpt from a bestselling author.

So if you missed out on this past newsletter, ask someone who already subscribes to forward you their copy. And, hey, sign up now so you don't miss out in the future.

New Free Ebook, Plus Holiday Sale

Long time, no blog. Sorry about that. Have just been really busy, you know? Also ... I've become bored with blogging, I hate to say. It's become too much like work, and I'd rather spend that time writing. Sooooooo ...

To Save Her is a brand new ebook that's only available to newsletter subscribers. If you're already a subscriber, you no doubt received the ebook Seeds when you signed up. Well, now that ebook is gone. Kaput. Disappeared, never to be seen again. Just like To Save Her will eventually no longer be available, once I decide to finally release a new ebook (the plan is a new ebook every year but, well, you know how things go).

Finally, for a limited time, all of my novels (except New Avalon) are currently $2.99 on Kindle and Nook. And the ebook bundles? They're 99 cents, because I've gone and lost my mind. Also 99 cents is my collection Real Illusions. Again, lost my mind! Go grab them while they're hot, and have a great holiday.

Muse

My most recent ebook, Muse, is now available on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iTunes, Google Play, or directly via Ganxy. I originally wrote this story for a tribute anthology for David B. Silva that was supposed to be published over a year ago. Actually, make it more like a year and a half ago. Maybe some day the anthology will be released, but I finally decided screw it and am releasing it on my own. Why? Because I like this story a lot. It's one of my favorites, and I'm excited for people to read it.

Also, as I haven't done a contest in a while, I thought it was a good time to have one.

Here are the details:

Purchase Muse and leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. That's it. Let me know in the comments section and your name will be entered to win.

Win what, you ask.

A rare copy of the limited edition trade hardcover of Walk the Sky by David B. Silva and myself which Thunderstorm Books published two years ago. This edition is long sold out and only available on secondary markets like eBay. But you -- yes, you! -- could have your very own copy.

Want more chances to win?

Leave reviews for Walk the Sky or At the Meade Bed & Breakfast or both. Or, hell, leave a review for any of my books between now and the end of the month, and your name will be added again and again. The more books you review, the better chance you have at winning. And if the response is especially promising, I'll add another limited edition copy of Walk the Sky to the mix, so your chances will increase even more.

Good luck!

Me At Elizabethtown College

I'll be speaking at Elizabethtown College later this month, at the Bowers Writers House to be exact, on October 28. I'm doing a workshop in the afternoon, which I believe is just for students, but I'll also be speaking later that night at 7:30, and that is open to the public. What will I be speaking about? That's a good question. I should probably find that out. If you're in the Central Pennsylvania area, I hope to see you there!

Me In StoryBundle

Every since Jason Chen started his website StoryBundle, I've wanted to participate. And, thankfully, it's finally happened. Check out the post before by Jason Letts, who runs BookSends and who curated this bundle. Want to win a FREE bundle? Simply link to this post on Twitter, Facebook, wherever, and let me know in the comments. Two winners will be randomly selected on 10/1.

We see a lot of great authors and titles come through on the BookSends Mystery/Thrillers list, which features the best deals in the genre each day, but there are some that prove themselves to be a cut above the rest. We've gathered eight of the top authors in this Best-Of-The-Best Bundle and are presenting them here in this special collection, available from September 24th to October 16th.

Certainly the accomplishments of these authors speak for themselves. Many have reached the New York Times or USA Today Bestseller lists or are mainstays of Amazon's bestseller lists. Many have made a name for themselves as stars in the genre. It's no stretch to say that between them they've sold far more than a million copies. That's all incredible, but there's another reason we've put them together. At BookSends, we're standing right there when readers decide to buy books and the data that we see shines a bright light on these titles. From the volume of clicks, the conversion percentages, the number of views and social media shares, these are the books that have that magic something that makes readers say they've got to have 'em and take action.

In the BookSends Mystery/Thriller Bundle, you'll find an impressive variety of protagonists and situations, but all continue to deliver beyond the initial punch with stories that get readers invested and continually turning the pages. From rogue detectives to tough-as-nails cops, a mother whose son has been kidnapped to rookies meant for something more, struggling FBI agents to savvy criminal investigators, special ops to private eyes, there's only one conclusion to draw: the criminals out there don't know what they're up against.

What I love about these books is that they all bring something new and fresh to the table in the way that they form and develop their heroes and heroines. These are stories about the dark criminal elements that exist in the world, but they're also close examinations of the very human individuals who take it upon themselves to stand up and confront them. That's what drew me in and made these stories more than something on a page. That's why I'm bringing them to you now with all of the urgency of an EMT rushing in at full speed after shots fired during an armed robbery. There's only one way to stanch the bleeding. Read. – Jason Letts

The initial titles in the bundle (minimum $3 to purchase) are:

• Becoming Quinn by Brett Battles • The Devil's Hour by J. Carson Black • Departed by Nick Stephenson • Blood Land by R.S. Guthrie

If you pay more than the bonus price of just $12, you'll get another four books:

• JET by Russell Blake • The Serial Killer’s Wife by Robert Swartwood • Justified by Carolyn Arnold • Deadly Accounts by C.R. Wiley

The bundle is available for a very limited time only, via www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get multiple DRM-free formats (.epub and .mobi) for all books, but after the three weeks are over, the bundle is gone forever!

It's also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.

• Get quality reads: We've chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package. • Pay what you want (minimum $3): You decide how much these fantastic books are worth to you. If you can only spare a little, that's fine! You'll still get access to a batch of thrilling titles. • Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there's nothing wrong with ditching DRM. • Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to charity. We're currently featuring Mighty Writers and Girls Write Now. • Receive extra books: If you beat our bonus price, you're not just getting seven books, you're getting thirteen!

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.

For more information, visit our website at storybundle.com, Tweet us at @storybundle, Like us on Facebook, and Plus us on Google Plus. For press inquiries, please email press@storybundle.com.