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On September 2nd, Mann Hunt hit #50 on Kindle Unlimited in Australia for Gay Romance Books. In the U.K. it reached #76 in LGBTQ+ Romance eBooks, and in Canada it got as high as #108 in Romance eBooks. In the U.S. (which is the largest market) it went up to spot #321 for Gay Romance. Thanks to all of the readers and reviewers who are putting the book higher in the rankings which will (hopefully) make those that look up the book more aware that it is this summer’s MUST READ.
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A large part of getting the word out to readers is blogs that cover a new book. I work with Katie Phoenix, an amazing publicist with Gay Romance Reviews. Aside from handling distribution of advance reader copies to blogs and social media accounts, she also puts together an amazing press kit. As this newsletter goes out to you now, the book is doing a “tour” of blogs over the next two weeks which will result in more reviews and articles about the book. Thanks to her work, editorial reviews such as the ones below have already come in. If you are considering writing or promoting a gay romance book, I can highly recommend GRR.
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“Mystery, Suspense, murder, and romance … I’m in love!” – MM Romance Reviewed
“It’s definitely going to be a series that keeps you wanting to come back more. This is a definite recommendation from me; I can’t wait for more stories from this great pairing.” – Bayou Book Junkie
“Mann Hunt is a fast-paced whodunit with solid writing.” -Joyfully Jay LBGTQ Romance Reviews and More
Peter’s second book, and the first in his new mystery trilogy, is exceptional. His voice is unique. He writes from a Multi-person point of view, which is unique in the romance genre. It’s a super interesting way to move the story forward and works especially well for a mystery story. -Not Guilty Of Books
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Of course none of this would be possible without the team at Pride Publishing that arranges for the cover art (done by Erin Dameron-Hill), the editing (done by Anna Olson and two additional line editors), the formatting done by Claire Siemaszkiewicz, the distribution by Rebecca Scott and additional promotion by Lori Blantin. Thanks to their work the book is listed on sites that include Amazon and Goodreads which leads to ratings and reviews. As of today’s post there are now 97 ratings and 84 text reviews on Goodreads with an average approval rating of 4.13 out of 5. If you’ve read the book and want to join in on the conversation by reviewing on Goodreads click here, or review on Amazon by clicking here.
And of course there is my own “personal” team. My partner Scott spends close to twenty hours a week doing social media, researching content for my newsletters, helping me order swag … I am lucky to have someone who believes in my work and supports it, and this wouldn’t be possible without his hard work.
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The Toronto Public Library obviously has confidence that the book is going to be popular. They ordered in 86 eBook copies. If you want to find out how to request a copy of the book at your library, get in touch through the comments section of this newsletter, and I will send you a link to your local library.
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The promotional tour for Mann Hunt will finish on September 25th, leaving just a little bit of time to prepare for the Gay Romance Literature Retreat. I’ll be there from October 18th to 22nd with a chance to meet readers, sign authographs and I’ll also have some incredible giveaways. If you are unaware of GRL, check out the site here. Registration for attendance for the spotlight panels, author meet-ups, readings, parties and events closes on September 23rd.
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My swag this year will include bookmarks, pens, autographed postcards, and probably most importantly for those that aren’t from Canada … Canadian chocolate bars including Aero Bars. Come and see me at the author lounge on Friday October 20th between 1:00 and 1:45 to pick up your pre-ordered book or simply have a chat. I’ll also be signing books all afternoon on Saturday October 21st. And one other amazing opportunity … there will be a chance for GRL attendees to enter for a chance to have a character named after them in the next book in the Declan Hunt Mystery series. Stay tuned for all the details coming out closer to the conference.
In next month’s newsletter I’ll be talking a bit more about those incredible GRL promotions, my upcoming youth novel Not Not Normal being released in the spring of 2024 with James Lorimer & Company Ltd. Publishing, and progress on Hoodoo House, the second Declan Hunt Mystery which will be released by Pride Publishing on June 25th.
Until then, thanks for reading.
Mann Hunt was released on August 29th of 2023 and is available for purchase by clicking here.
Peter E. Fenton 