Monday 6 July 2009

reviews & sales




Proof that I'm out and about signing books. These were taken in Borders and Waterstones. I have also signed in WH Smith's, but we forgot to take the camera there - will post a snap in Smiths soon as I have plenty more signings coming up in branches of all these chains, as well as in several independent bookshops.
Here are links to the two reviews Cut Short has had so far in the press:
'an excellent debut' - Mark Campbell, Crime Time
http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/showarticle/1303
'a surefire hit - a taut, slick, easy to read thriller' - Melanie Dakin, Watford Observer
I'm also thrilled that a blogger has posted a brilliant review on amazon!
'gripping, fast paced psychological thriller... I loved it'.
Thank you as well to those of you who've emailed me for a virtual signature.
In the meantime, Cut Short continues to plummet down the amazon sales ratings so please, if you haven't bought a copy yet, but intend doing so, order it on amazon asap and email me for a virtual signature. If you're already reading it and like what you see - tell all your friends!
On a more serious note, I'd love to come and talk to reading groups and hear your feedback while I'm working on Book 2. After listening to comments from a reading group I talked to, I've already revised one idea (concerning a certain detective sergeant who had disappeared from Book 2 but has now reappeared...)

15 comments:

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I loved Cut Short and have bought copies for my mother and godmother for their birthdays.

Leigh Russell said...

Thank you Debs. I hope they enjoy it. Please email me for signatures for them both, if you think they'd like that.

It may not be huge in the publisher's figures, to know that 2 more copies of Cut Short have been sold, but as far as I'm concerned, it's absolutely brilliant and has made my day! I'm thrilled. Thank you very much.

Charles Gramlich said...

I'm sure your amazon numbers have got a ways to go to bottom out with mine.

Eryl said...

So, it's not just your shoes that are purple! Do you know the Gogol Bordello song that begins: 'Start wearing purple, wearing purple..."?

I will buy my best friend Cut Short for her birthday (though it's not till the end of October) as she likes crime thrillers (well I know she liked the TV series Morse) and will be thrilled by the fact that I (virtually) know the author.

Sales will pick up again as people recommend it to friends and family. What you really need, now, is to be nominated for a prize of course, and by the sound of things that could easily happen.

Leigh Russell said...

I doubt that, Charles, but thank you for the support. I really don't care about the amazon sales ranking... I just happen to talk about it all the time... It's insignificant. Totally uninteresting. I don't care...

Leigh Russell said...

Aw thanks, Eryl. That's very kind. These measurable scales can become quite compulsive. I remember people used to get very hot under the collar about spelling tests, not because they were necessarily genuinely significant, but because they are easily meaasurable and so allegedly provide 'evidence' of progress.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I do admire your dogged determination. I have been browsing through your site and goodness it has taken so long from start to publication. Being a lover of crime fiction, I certainly look forward to reading your book and will look out for it.

All the best with the sales and the next book too.

Anonymous said...
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Leigh Russell said...

Thank you Scrapz'nBitz. You're right, it has been a long haul. I sometimes think I should perhaps have stuck to embroidery. It's certainly less frustrating. I hope you enjoy Cut Short. Do come back and let me know what you think.

Akasha Savage. said...

Hi Leigh. I have just finished reading Cut short. Well Done You!
I have posted a review on my blog...hope you like.

:D

Leigh Russell said...

Fantastic, Akasha. Thank you very very much for your generous praise, and your useful feedback.

Anonymous said...

We are so proud of you. We will be pushing for Book 2 now.

Barbara Martin said...

You never know when a character might take off on a series of their own.

Leigh Russell said...

Thanks, Aggie. Support like that is really helpful when I've had a bad day. This is really hard at times but I'll try to post about the good times!

Leigh Russell said...

I don't think I'd have time to think about another series, Barbara. If only I could afford to give up the day job. But I'd have to sell an unrealistic number of books for that.