Pre-order My New Cozy + Another eBook winner, below

At last! Here's a sneak-peek at my new Agatha Christie Book Club mystery, which is now available as a PRE-ORDER at Amazon. (Hurrah.)

To lock in your copy, just click HERE. And don't hesitate to get in touch and let me know your thoughts on the new cover (above).

ABOUT THE BOOK

And Then There Were 9

(The Agatha Christie Book Club 4)

By C.A. LARMER

REMOTE LYLE'S LODGE: Deep in isolated rainforest, the Agatha Christie Book Club gather to meet four new members, each one hiding a secret from the group…

ONE IS AN IMPOSTER. 
ONE HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE.
ONE IS HUNTING FOR SOMETHING.
AND ONE WANTS REVENGE.

Now with nine members and blissfully unaware, ACBC Mark 2 settle in to discuss Christie’s best-selling mystery—the one about the madman bumping off his isolated guests. 

Very soon, life begins to imitate art…

First one person is murdered, then another, and then they find themselves cut off by a giant bushfire that's roaring up the mountain towards them.

With their own "madman" on the loose and the flames getting closer, they must employ the wisdom of Poirot, to unravel each new member's secret and unmask the killer.

But this time not all of them will get out alive.

Once there were nine… Soon there will be six. But which six will survive the Book Club from hell?

ARE YOU THIS WEEK'S WINNER?

AS YOU KNOW… I've been celebrating the upcoming release of my latest Agatha Christie Book Club adventure and am handing out an eBook prize every single week until it hits the stands.

TO WIN: Just keep reading these newsletters! I'll pick a subscriber randomly from the list and announce the name each week until it's published. If that's you, I'll contact you directly to find out which book you'd like.

*Don't panic if you've already read ALL THREE in the series. You're my favourite kind of subscriber and will get a chance to choose from any of my other cozy mysteries (see here).

THIS WEEK'S WINNER IS...

Jane Starcher

Congratulations Jane! I will be in touch with you shortly to discuss your eBook prize.

Everyone else, please don't despair, there's at least one more free eBook to be given out. Check the next newsletter to see if your name comes up. And catch up on the Book Club's back story via the links, below.

xo Christina 

@AMAZON online

Apple iBooks

B+N nook

kobo

Yep, You CAN Judge a Book By Its Cover—Your Verdict Is In! + Prize Winner Announced

Photos? Illos? Naked Torsos?

Wow, what a response. Earlier this month, I discussed the various styles of cover design and asked you which you preferred: covers with illustrations, photographs and/or naked torsos?

AND THE COVER-STYLE WINNER IS…

The Ghostwriter Mystery series

Illustrated covers won hands down! Of the 100+ responses I received, 65% agreed that illustrated covers were ideal. 10% preferred photographs, 23% were happy with either/both and just a tiny handful of respondents thought a bare bod' was the best way to go. (Va-va-voom.)

It didn't really matter where you came from—most respondents were from the US, but I had replies from the UK, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and even one from Slovenia—the general consensus was this:

• ILLUSTRATIONS are perfect for cozy mysteries: "They're softer, gentler and feed my imagination more," said one reader. "I like to let my brain run wild!" wrote another. And this little nugget: "It illustrates the lighthearted, more laidback, quick-read nature (of cozies)."
• PHOTOS are more suited to gritty crime and realism: "I like my covers to look more realistic," said one. "Not too cartooney," wrote another, while most agreed: "(Photos) feel more serious but not as much fun to read."
• NAKED TORSOS are taboo. It's "pornographic" or "just plain yuck!" said some, while one reader implored: no "disconcerting" Fabio-style images, please! That one made me laugh. :-)

Many of your views mirrored my own but one comment got my 'leetle grey cells' churning:

"My ultimate favorite cover style is what you have done with the Agatha Christie Book Club covers: photographs, not with people, but with objects that relate to the story and actually enhance the prospective reader's mental images. The perfect blend!"

I hadn't thought of that extra option but, thanks, I heartily agree! I love that style, too (see the aforementioned covers below), and often pour over similar covers, wondering if the objects pictured will unlock the mystery for me.

But enough of all that. Let's get to the exciting bit! Envelope please…

AND THE E-BOOK PRIZE WINNER IS...

Congratulations Andree P. from Canada! You've just scored yourself an e-copy of all six of my Ghostwriter Mystery series. (Woo-hoo!) I'll be in touch with you via email directly. Until then, thanks to EVERYONE who shared their views. It was so lovely to meet you, discover where you're from and hear what makes you reach for a book.

Now I'd like to leave you with perhaps the savviest quote of all:

"I DO judge a book by its cover but it's the content that really matters."

I think we can all agree on that.

Happy reading everyone (regardless of the cover!)

xo Christina

The Agatha Christie Book Club series

PST! While I've got your undivided attention...

A BRIEF WORD ON BOOK REVIEWS: It's not just about the cover and the content—YOU also make a big difference to an author's ability to reach more readers and, therefore, write more books. Readers' reviews really matter, so if you find the time and can manage it, don't ever hesitate to rate and/or review. We appreciate the effort and love to hear your views! :-)

Check out my revamped cover and win a free e-book

As my devoted readers will know, I have a naughty knack of fiddling with my book covers whenever I get a chance. I love design and am often looking at ways to make my covers stronger, slicker and reach a broader audience.

Well, oops, I did it again!

Or, at least, my favourite cover designer Stuart Eadie did. As you can see from the image below, he's redesigned the cover of the first book in my Ghostwriter Mystery series, Killer Twist. This time, however, you won't notice a huge difference. It's just a minor revamp, a tiny polish, a strategic yet subtle appeal to those for whom first impressions count. I do hope you like it.

Over the next month Stu and I will be revamping all six covers in the series, so stay tuned as each new look hits the digital stands.

Until then, I'd love to hear your thoughts! I'm offering a free e-book* to the first 10 respondents, so don't hesitate to leave a comment below or email me directly: christina.larmer@gmail.com

Happy (revamped) reading everyone!
xo Christina

*NB: this competition is open for one full month from first publication of blog, and winners get to choose an e-copy of any of my nine C.A. Larmer novels, which can be found at Amazon. Good luck!