For many self-publishing authors, it can be a challenge to come up with creative ways to market a self-published book. While book tours are a great way to connect with readers, they may not be cost-effective, especially if you want to reach a nationwide audience. However, technology makes it possible for authors to reach a larger audience, without all of the costly travel.
Take note from self-publishing Outskirts Press author, Burr B. Anderson, who is taking his latest book, High Seas Darkness, on tour – a virtual book tour, that is. He will be featured on several blogs over the weeks and months ahead so keep your eyes peeled to learn more about him and his book.
Luckily for us, Burr was kind enough to answer a few questions as the tour was getting started so that we can give you a sneak peek into the mind of the creator of High Seas Darkness.
OP: Tell us a little bit about High Seas Darkness. What is it about?
BBA: When a passenger on a luxury cruise ship falls victim to a vicious sexual assault, private
maritime investigator Brick Morgan arrives to solve the crime. His investigation brings him faceto-
face with a sultry old flame—and a terrorist plot that threatens thousands of passengers on an
entire fleet of cruise ships. His attempts to the stop religious fundamentalists run up against the
barriers of FBI and Homeland Security while a political battle brews between American loyalists
and an American president whose weak stance on terror has opened the door for this series of
deadly chemical attacks by radical religious insurgents.
OP: Why did you decide to write this story?
BBA: The cruise industry offers a taste for luxury to passengers around the world; however,
beneath the waterline there exists a secret world of the crew members who come from across the
globe to form floating cities that few passengers ever see, let alone think about. I wanted to
reveal the difficult lives of these often-exploited crew members by sharing the darker side of
what really goes on under the glitzy shows and endless buffets.
Also, I wanted to bring a new kind of hero to the thriller genre. Brick Morgan, the lead of
High Seas Darkness, bucks the trend of white action heroes. He’s a black cop from the Pacific
Northwest who is exceptionally driven. He earns a law degree and works with the Justice
Department before becoming the premier private investigator for the maritime industry because
he saw a need to help victims on a bigger scale.
Most significantly, I wrote High Seas Darkness because of my concerns with how the
United States handles the international tensions. America has many enemies and the threat of
terrorism is not only ongoing, it is growing. I hope this book calls attention to the potential
dangers that many of our current political leaders haughtily choose to ignore.
OP: What types of readers would be interested in this story?
BBA: Fans of political thrillers and criminal forensics will find Brick Morgan a compelling
character in the lineage of heroes from writes like Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, or Daniel Silva.
OP: What is special about your book? What differentiates it from other books in the same category?
BBA: To the best of my knowledge, High Seas Darkness is the first piece of suspense fiction to
dive beneath the water line to reveal the seedy truths and ugly tensions at work behind the scenes
of luxury cruise ships. The story will potentially unsettle readers as they learn about the rights
and safety they actually leave at the gangway as they step onboard a cruise ship.
OP: Have you published any other books? Do you plan to publish more?
BBA: In 2012, I published my first book, The Drummer—a story about the insurance industry
colliding with music industry. It focuses on the allure of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll in Southern
California. Because of the tremendously positive feedback and interest I’ve received about Brick
Morgan, I’ve promised that he will return as the protagonist in the second book of a series of
Brick Morgan novels. My next book, tentatively titled Darkness Over the Canal, will take Brick
from the Pacific Northwest to South America and back as he confronts an international criminal
plot to take control of the maritime shipping industry and cripple America’s economy.
OP: Thanks for your time, Burr! We look forward to learning more about you as you visit other bloggers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Burr B. Anderson spent four decades working in business before turning his passion for the maritime industries into thrillers. A former US Navy submariner drawn to forensics and criminology, Anderson combines a keen political insight with his extensive experience as a world traveler in High Seas Darkness, a powerful debut novel.
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For more information or to contact the author, visit www.outskirtspress.com/highseasdarkness
This author purchased the Virtual Book Tour marketing option, which allows self-publishing authors to connect with bloggers and harness the power of the blogosphere by taking their book on the “virtual road”. Learn more about this service by visiting your Publishing Center and reviewing the available marketing options.
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