Jackie Griffey lives in Arkansas near Little Rock with her grown children, two cats, and a Chihuahua with a long list of things to bark at – including the cats. She is working on another cozy mystery. You can visit her website at wwww.jackiegriffey.com.
Jackie will be on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours in January of 2010, and is here with us today to give her impression of virtual book tours and online book marketing.
Thank you for this interview, Jackie. Can we start out by having you tell us briefly what your new book is about?
Jackie: The Devil in Merrivale is the first of a cozy mystery series set in a small fictional town in Tennessee. It has a brutal murder; cattle rustling; and a possible satanic cult. Sheriff Cas Larkin investigates the crime uncovering the little town’s darkest secrets and introducing the citizens both gifted and otherwise to bring the reader back for another exciting visit to Merrivale. There will be a new mystery to solve every year.
More and more authors are realizing the potential for sales that derives from virtual book tours. Can you tell us your personal reasons why you chose a virtual book tour to help get the word out about your new book?
Jackie: I have visited other blogs and saw one of my Sisters in Crime who has done several tours.
Is this the first time you have heard of them?
Jackie: No, but what got my attention was that the author mentioned above has done several of them.
What do you hope to achieve through promoting your book through a virtual book tour?
Jackie: I hope to really spike the sales for the whole Merrivale series and plan on writing as long as I can see the monitor so my readers will always something new to look forward to in this series.
Do you promote online through other means? Website? Blog?
Jackie: Both. Website: jackiegriffey.com. Blog: jjgjackiegriffey.blogspot.com.
Do you promote through Twitter and Facebook? What are your links there?
Jackie: I’m a member of Facebook but don’t really know my way around yet.
What are your experiences with offline booksignings? Which do you prefer – online or offline and can you give us the reasons why?
Jackie: I have done several booksignings and spoken to local writers groups, libraries too. I like guesting at the groups and libraries best because I just really enjoy meeting new friends, readers and writers too.
Here’s a fun question. If money was no object, how would you promote your book?
Jackie: By work of mouth mostly I guess. Because as a reader, I love a good mystery and cozies are my favorites. I enjoy reading other people’s books and hope they will enjoy reading mine.
Thank you for this interview, Jackie. Do you have any final words?
Jackie: Yes. If you want to write – write! Keep at it. Proofing and writing and sending things out and you will make it. There are more publishers and formats than ever before and if you just hang in there you will make it, just keep writing and good luck to all of us.
You can see Jackie’s official tour page by clicking here.