For my followers who are unfamiliar with the publishing industry, a book blog tour is a virtual tour to help an author promote their book without traveling. It’s the same concept as going to a store or event signings but instead of physical places, the author is going from blog to blog during the time frame of the tour.

It’s just one form of PR that reaches all the readers/followers of the blogs who participate in the tour. Tour “stops” are a combination of reviews and guest/promotional posts that make the tour interesting and hopefully encourage readers to buy/read the book.

During my own publishing journey I’ve been blessed to meet fellow authors who’ve shown me the ropes.  One such author is Therin Knite, who has recently published her second sci-fi novel, Othella.

In a prior blog tour stop, Therin describes the book as follows:

Othella is a sci-fi, apocalyptic, thriller that was originally supposed to be a novelette. I was going to publish it between Echoes and my next novel, but then the idea expanded into a full-blown novel-length story, so I pushed my other projects back and wrote 72,000 words for Othella instead. This book has three points of view compared to my first book, Echoes. I’ve set it in the near future while Echoes is set in the 28th century. The characters of Othella are a lot like us because they exist in a world not very different from our own. The book looks at where the world could realistically be if we don’t smarten up as a race – how certain-minded people might anticipate the end and try to plan for a new beginning. But really, how could we ever expect things to go exactly as we planned?

Synopsis

Welcome to Arcadian Heights,
where the world’s brightest minds go in…and don’t come out.

Excerpt From Chapter 2
Marco
( 5 Years Ago )

Clarissa’s picture beckons.

I shuffle across the room again, round my desk, and press a kiss to my fingers. Then I transfer the kiss from my fingers to the image of my daughter’s smiling face. She’s garbed in graduation gear, holding her diploma to her chest. Eyes blue and bright and beautiful and hopeful like they were the day she was born. How the hell did I almost forget Clarissa?

Reggie lowers the blueprint from his face and asks, “You tell your therapist about that?”

“About what?”

He shifts on the couch, a frown dragging down one side of his mouth. “That ritual you just performed?”

“A man can’t show affection for his daughter?”

Comprehension blossoms in Reggie’s expression. “So you use that as her replacement?”

“I don’t have anything else to use. I suppose I could use a photo at home, if it offends you that I perform a creepy ritual here.”

“I didn’t say it was creepy. It’s a bit…odd is all.”

“Maybe for you. None of your loved ones are locked up in a science utopia, never to see the light of the nasty outside world again.”

Reggie tosses the blueprint toward the coffee table, but he overshoots, and the paper crumples on the floor. There are wrinkles where he gripped the edges. “You don’t want her there?”

“It’s where she wants to be, so I can’t want her anywhere else. That’s how fatherhood works.”

Reggie plucks his glasses off and rubs one of his eyes. “You require a lot of effort, you know that?”

“Am I not worth it?”

“If you weren’t, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Big hero, aren’t you?”

“No, that’s you. Mr. Risk and Reward.”

I grin. “Ah, but you’re the caution to my risk. The glue that holds me together.”

“And don’t you forget it.” He leans over the coffee table to retrieve the blueprint. “Now go to your lunch meeting before the WSJ guy thinks you ditched him. Good impressions are important for CEOs, Mr. Salt.”

I stifle a laugh at Reggie’s impression of old Prof Flannigan. “Yes, sir. I’ll remember that when I frolic in my bed of hundred dollar bills tonight.”

Reggie bursts into a fit of snorts and giggles, and he’s still wheezing when I exit the office. Lisa glances at the closing door and arcs an eyebrow.

“You got a lunch meeting in ten minutes, Mr. Salt,” she says.

“I know.”

“Lunch traffic is in full swing. You’re better off walking.”

“Advice accepted, Lisa.”

“Better be.”

I throw her a deferential nod as I wait for the elevator to arrive. Just as the doors begin to open, my tablet vibrates. I fish it out of my pocket and glance at the quarter-width screen, spotting the icon for a text message. Stepping into the elevator, I hit the lobby button and unfold the tablet. The screen extends to full width, but the additional information doesn’t reveal the sender of the message. The ID is listed as blocked.

Strange. I run a virus scan.

It comes back clean as the elevator reaches the lobby.

Chewing my tongue, I stroll out into the buzz of the midday crowd and open the message.

There are four words.

Dad, I’m in trouble.

 

The e-book will remain at a special intro price of $0.99 through July 2014 (regularly $3.99).  Paperback version also available.

Therin’s Rafflecopter Giveaway will run through July 25, 2014. Enter to win a paperback copy of Othella.

The Social Stuff ∗ Meet Therin Knite

 “We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.”

Therin was gracious enough to include a Book Spotlight of my first novel, The Oath. What do you think about Blog Tours and cross-promotion? Leave a comment below.

 

Click here to read the first chapter of my new novel One Death Too Far. Haven’t got a publishing date yet, but as soon as I do, you’ll be the first to know.

For book marketing purposes, I am looking for “followers”. If you click “follow” in the sidebar menu of this page, not only will I be grateful, I’ll even send you the second chapter of my novel free.