PUYB Virtual Book Club Chats with 'Sealed Up' Steve Dunn Hanson & Giveaway!

I've lived in places that grew me . . . from a small Idaho farm town, a run-down neighborhood in St. Louis, and a middle-class southern California community, to Sydney, Australia, and Bucharest, Romania. My experiences are as varied as the places I've lived. I have a hopper full of "reality" including being a volunteer jail chaplain and flying with a U.S. presidential candidate in his small plane when an engine conked out. And all of this is fodder for my writing.

My latest book is the action/adventure/suspense novel, Sealed Up.

Website & Social Links

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

About the Book:

 

UCLA anthropologist Nathan Hill, in a funk since his young wife’s death, learns of staggering millennia-old chronicles sealed up somewhere in a Mesoamerica cliff. This bombshell rocks him out of his gloom, and he leads a clandestine expedition to uncover them. What are they? Who put them

there? No one knows. But, self-absorbed televangelist Brother Luke, who funds the expedition, thinks he does. If he’s right, his power-hunger will have off-the-charts gratification.

Striking Audra Chang joins Nathan in his pursuit and brings her own shocking secret. As they struggle through a literal jungle of puzzles and dead ends, she finds herself falling in love with Nathan. Her secret, though, may make that a non-starter.

When a shaman with a thirst for human sacrifice, and a murderous Mexican drug lord with a mysterious connection to Brother Luke emerge, the expedition appears doomed. Yet Nathan is convinced that fate—or something—demands these inscrutable chronicles be unearthed.

And if they are . . . what shattering disruption will they unleash?

Intricately layered and remarkably researched, this enthralling suspense-driven and thought provoking tour de force begs a startling question: Could it happen?

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Amazon

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?

Authenticity was everything. I spent almost as much time researching as I did writing

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?

I pursued agents, but that was while I was still polishing my manuscript. An interesting exercise that helped me make up my mind that for this book, self-publishing was the way to go. It’s called control!

If self-published, did you hire someone to format the ebook version for you or did you do it yourself?  Can you tell us what that was like?

I did all of the formatting—both for the ebook version and the trade paperback version. I like learning and have a knack for this kind of thing. However, I would say if you don’t have some skills here, don’t mess with it. Hire someone to do it for you. IT HAS TO LOOK PROFESSIONAL!!

If self-published, how did you determine the price?

I settled on $3.95 as my “basic” price. That’s high enough to make the book sound “worthwhile” and low enough that anyone can afford it.

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?  Why?

Not really. I published it when I was finished with it and had my ducks in line.

How did you choose your cover?

Matt Doyle of Swivelhead Design did my cover. I gave him some ideas, but he hit a homerun with this. It won 1^st place in the 2016 AuthorDB cover contest.

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

The answer is “Yes” to both questions.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book?

I have no swags.

Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book?  If so, what’s the link?

I did the trailer myself. Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/C_kmEjBM3zg

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I don’t give it away. I discount it to $0.99. My theory is just about everyone who would take it for free would take it for $0.99. That gives me a little royalty, but most important, it counts as a sold book on Amazon and places me higher in the SEO.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

Maximize SEO. Get reviews. Get the word out to everyone you know.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

Get reviews. Use professionals to help you promote it. Start on your next book.

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?  

I have a website—stevedunnhanson.com—with hundreds of subscribers. I offered them a free ebook and asked them to consider giving me a review. I set up a FB page, sent out FB messages to my 2200 “FB friends,” sent out emails, etc. One of the most important things I did was set up on NetGalley.

Do you have a long term plan with your book?

This is the first of three books in the series: The Course of Fate. While each book is a separate and self-contained read, each one is ultimately vital in order to see “the course of fate.”

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

Thanks for reading. And continue to expect the unexpected.

Steve Dunn Hanson is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card PLUS an autographed copy of his book, Sealed Up!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive both prizes.
• This giveaway ends midnight March 31.
• Winner will be contacted via email on April 1.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway