Arabella Sheraton grew up reading her mom’s collection of Georgette Heyer novels, the queen of modern-day Regency romance, and of course, Jane Austen’s iconic Regency novels. Although Arabella’s literary background was in publishing and editing, she had never written a fiction book. Her first novel started out in response to her mom’s complaint that she had nothing new to read. That first Regency novel was The Dangerous Duke! Since then, Arabella has penned six more authentic Regency novels and a romance self-help guide to finding the right partner, with useful quotes by none other than Jane Austen. Arabella has branched out with a mash-up of genre in her latest work in progress. A murder-mystery, time travel, Regency romance coming soon!
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
Title: LORD BLACKWOOD’S VALENTINE BALL (Book 1)
Author: Arabella Sheraton
Publisher: Bublish
Pages: 90 (novella)
Genre: Regency Romance
BOOK BLURB:
In this romantic traditional Regency novella, Patience Cherwell is resigned to a life of spinsterhood. Therefore, when her young friend, the lovely Lorna Hartley, comes to stay for a London season, she decides the eligible, charming Lord Blackwood is the perfect match for Lorna. Granted, Lord Blackwood, at forty, is much older than the vivacious 20-year-old Lorna, but Patience is determined to help her young friend make a good match. So why isn’t she happy when his lordship and Lorna seem to like each other’s company? The problem is that Patience is already madly in love with his lordship! An unexpected invitation arrives for Lorna and Patience to attend Lord Blackwood’s Valentine Ball. This is the perfect moment for him to propose to Lorna. Mysteriously, a corsage arrives from an anonymous admirer. Who is it for? And what will be the outcome for the wearer at Lord Blackwood’s Valentine Ball? Patience and Lord Blackwood’s enchanting story continues in The Lady’s Revenge.
PRAISE
“Set in the era of grace and chivalry, Lord Blackwood’s Valentine Ball by Arabella Sheraton is the heart-warming novella prequel to the more adventurous novel, The Lady’s Revenge. Written with similar charm and panache of Jane Austen’s, Pride and Prejudice, this enchanting story captivates the reader and draws them into the vibrant life of Patience Cherwell. Patience’s loving and noble spirit is evident from the onset of the story; instantly capturing the reader. Despite the results that could lead to a lifetime of loveless solitude, Patience’s sacrifice of self for the love of a friend is gut-wrenching, yet profoundly noteworthy. This is a beautiful story of eternal love and redemption, and I highly recommend it to hopeless romantics.” – Amazon Reviewer 5 stars
ORDER YOUR COPY
Amazon → https://amzn.to/3vEp1Vd
Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/3vyAW6O
iBooks → https://apple.co/3p7GoLm
Kobo → https://bit.ly/3wJE8g7
Title: THE LADY’S REVENGE (Book 2)
Author: Arabella Sheraton
Publisher: Bublish
Pages: 186
Genre: Regency Romance
BOOK BLURB:
This engaging traditional Regency romance is the sequel to Lord Blackwood’s Valentine Ball. Miss Letitia DeVere decides that revenge is a dish best eaten cold when she returns to London after a two-year absence to find her former admirer Lord Charles Blackwood on the verge of proposing to Miss Patience Cherwell. Lord Blackwood’s Valentine Ball proved to be the turning point in his fledgling romance with Patience. Letitia is not the kind of woman who gives up easily, as Patience and Charles soon find out. She stops at nothing to achieve her aims. However, Letitia has a dark past, with secrets that threaten to return and destroy her newfound social success. When Charles proves less malleable than in the past, Letitia resorts to subterfuge, seduction, blackmail, and even violence to force him to propose. Will he see through her tricks and remain true to Patience, or will Letitia’s seductive wiles lure him back?
PRAISE
“The timing is one of the most wonderful things in this read, especially because of the various means of subterfuge and blackmail which are at play. Author Arabella Sheraton has a knack for timing her comedy and her suspense in just the right balance to keep that rompy pace going, just like authentic Regency novels should do. I can’t recommend this two-partner enough, or indeed the author herself and her other super-fun works. Readers with a modern mindset or a lack of historical knowledge might not fully ‘get’ the style, but if you’re someone that does, then you’re going to truly fall in love and want to keep stepping back into this world time and again, so give them a try!” – Amazon Reviewer 5 stars
ORDER YOUR COPY
Amazon → https://amzn.to/3vD5mER
Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/3vyAW6O
iBooks → https://apple.co/3fyBPH4
Kobo → https://bit.ly/3vPFZzK
After your book was released, what was the first thing you did when getting ready for your book launch?
The first thing I did was announce on social media that my book would be available: Facebook, Twitter, Wattpad, my website, friends and family and followers. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising, and it is free.
After that, what was your next step?
I have found that using Wattpad (www.wattpad.com) is an excellent way of giving readers a taste of the first 3 chapters of a new book. How else will readers decide if they like a book? The best sample is at least 3 chapters to give them a good bite of the story. Posting the link to social media sites is a great way of generating interest.
Did you ever consider using a PR agency to help you promote your book or did you prefer the DIY route?
I have found that PR agencies are costly and one’s book can get lost in the giant PR machine. Doing the DIY route and relying on faithful friends and followers and a ‘street team’ to get and keep the publicity wheels turning has worked for me. It is important to note that you can’t just do one push and then leave it. Follow up with constant little teasers and samples to remind readers that a great book is waiting for them.
Were finding reviews a top priority for you and, if yes, how did you approach that?
Reviews are very important because these tell a potential reader if your book is any good. There are so many books available now that everyone is fighting for their moment in the spotlight. The best way to get reviews is to ask for them. Again, this is hard work. I put my book on Wattpad and then selected the best reader responses and asked the reader if I could use an extract. I then put these into the Amazon editorial section of the book. So a newcomer to my book on Amazon already has an idea of what people think.
What are your views on social media for marketing your book?
Social media works but you have to work at it. I have found that teaming up with a good book site that specializes in social media marketing is a godsend because on the days when you don’t have time to market, they are doing the work for you. Right now, I am using Circle of Books (https://circleofbooks.com) and I am pleased with the results.
What social media has worked best for you?
Twitter works best for me. Again, to get news of a book circulating you have to retweet news of other people’s books. It is a share-share step that results in a win-win for all. I make sure I retweet anyone who tweets about my book as a thank you.
Did you revamp your author’s page at Amazon in any way to prepare for the launch (https://authorcentral.amazon.com/)?
I keep it up to date all the time.
Did you have other books you offered for free in order to help sell your present book?
Yes, I offer the first book in the Blackwood series for free, so readers are encouraged to pick up the second book to find out how the dramatic saga ends.
What was the best money you ever spent on your book launch?
I always do a blog tour to launch a new book. I only use tour providers I trust who are professional and then I know the title gets seen by the right kind of reader. In the past I have wasted money on sites that were not genre specific.
Any tips for those authors wanting to set up a successful book launch?
Do not do a ‘spray and pray’ approach. Shop around and pick a tour host with a package that suits your genre. Make sure you have a list of the tour stops and each day go on to that host’s blog and write them a thank you note. Share every stop with your own followers on social media.
Thank you so much for hosting me!
ReplyDelete