It's been a crazy couple of days. I've
written a crime thriller called 'Run, Run, Run'. And in the last
couple of days it's risen from relative obscurity to #1 most downloaded
thriller on Amazon UK. Before I tell you how it happened, here's the
blurb for the book:
‘Run, Run, Run’ is a crime thriller, a novel that never lets up, taking an ordinary couple into a life they could never envisage.
After giving evidence against a gangster in a murder trial, Dan Thompson is whisked away into the Witness Protection Scheme. But even that can’t protect him and his wife, Sally. Somebody knows their new identity - somebody who shouldn’t.
Frank Tong is an artist who finds inspiration for his paintings from the violence of his criminal life. When his brother is put away for murder he wants revenge. And he has a mole in the Witness Protection Scheme.
Dan and the pregnant Sally have no choice. They have to flee. They go on the run from both sides of the law.
They must learn to lie, steal, shoot and fight to survive. They can’t use their credit cards, cash machines, mobile phones - anything that will give away their location. They must constantly look over their shoulder. It’s living life like a criminal - a difficult task for two law abiding people.
What will it take to return to a normal life? How far are they willing to go?‘Run, Run, Run’ is a crime thriller that will have your heart racing and your mind buzzing.
…Sometimes to get justice, you have to run away from it…
That's what the novel is about. I
believe it's a good book, of course. I aimed to write a thriller that
had rounded characters the reader would care about without letting up
on the pace.
But, as an independent author, it's my
responsibility not just to write a good book but to get it out to
people. It's tough to pull myself away from the gripping story I'm
currently working on. But it has to be done.
When I first released 'Run, Run, Run',
I made sure it was available in every online bookstore, including:
the iBookstore, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and Amazon.
Then, a couple of months ago, Amazon
began their Select scheme. Subscribers to Amazon can download
books for free, whilst the author still gets a fee.
If you entered your book into the
scheme, you had to withdraw it from other bookstores. I thought about
this a lot before deciding to go ahead.
What swung it for me was the fact that
you could also offer your book for free for up to five days, as an
introduction for new readers. Plus, Amazon has the largest share of
the market and, I think, is fairer to independent authors than either
the iBookstore or Barnes & Noble.
'Run, Run, Run' went free on Sunday
29th January 2012 for a couple of days. That's when the
madness began. Downloads of the book gradually gained momentum,
starting at 600,000 in the charts. By the end of the second day it
had become the #1 thriller and #2 overall at Amazon UK, overtaking
more established competition.
It was a tough decision to take it off
the free list. A writer's main wish is to be read, so it's a
thrill to see thousands of people choosing to read your book. I can't thank those people enough and I really hope they enjoy it. But, to keep writing a writer needs to get paid. Whether the book can mirror its success
now I'm starting from scratch by going back to charging for it (only a paltry sum), we will have to see. But at least people now know about the
book and can judge it on its own merits.
'Run, Run, Run', a crime thriller, is available from:
