Five Days of Awesome!

I’d like to thank everyone who downloaded a copy, posted retweets, and shared my updates on Facebook over the past five days. Because of your help, I gave away over 4,000 copies of Gasher Creek. It charged to number one on the Kindle Store’s list for Paranormal and Western genres, and cracked the top 100 of the Amazon Best Seller’s list. I never could have imagined it would have been so successful, and I’ll be riding on Cloud Ten (which is WAY better than Cloud Nine) well into the New Year.

When I started this, I only expected 100 copies to be given away, so four thousand is mind boggling. I can hardly believe it.  But I do like it! 

Over the last few days, I've received some criticism over offering my book for free, but I feel too good to argue. Instead, I'll just summarize with this:

Money is good, but being read is better. Nothing can equal this feeling of satisfaction. People all over North America and Europe are reading my book! The thought of it makes me smile. And years from now, it'll still make me smile.

That's priceless.

Thanks

It’s been a great year for old man Birch, and I have Twitter to thank for it. It’s amazing what social media can do, especially for writers. Not only have I made a bunch of new friends, but Gasher Creek has been making the “kudos” rounds for a few months now. People seem to really dig it, and that’s made me feel all squishy inside. (At least I hope that’s what’s causing the squish. If not, I should probably see a doctor.)

And it’s not just “kudos” that I’m getting from Twitter. It’s also practical help. Of course, the greatest gift I’ve received this year was the artwork of Tracy McCusker. Her cover art for Gasher Creek (see top left of this page) captures the spirit of the book in a way that I never thought possible. If you are a lover of art and poetry, please check out her website: dustyjournal.com. If you are an indie writer in need of a cover, contact her immediately. Her talent is getting noticed, and it won’t be long before she’s part of the elite.  

I’ve also had invaluable help from other writers such as Antonio Angelo. He took the time to offer some tips for a better book description. I’m still not thrilled with the result, but it’s much better because of his input. Thanks sir!

So, because of all the goodness the Internet had done for me this year, I want to return the favour. From Dec. 25^th to the 29^th, my book Gasher Creek will be available for FREE from Amazon.com and its affiliated sites. Why December 25^th? Two reasons. One, because it’s a Christmas gift (aww). And two, because Quentin Tarantino’s new western “Django Unchained” premieres that day. I’m a huge Tarantino fan, and this is my way of saying thanks to him for keeping the interest in westerns alive.

So, after you’ve seen “Django Unchained” (and you know you will), and you are all fired up for more western adventure (you know you will be), go ahead and download my little western for free. And I thank you for it.

Onward to a new year and a new book!

J.