Today marks the one-year anniversary of the release of Minutes Before Sunset, book 1 of The Timely Death Trilogy. I’ve been pondering many ideas on how to go about this date – because it feels so surreal – and one idea in particular kept popping back up because I keep hearing one particular question:
How did I gain my followers and readership?
There is no simple answer, but I like to explain it in the only way I can: stats. I like to share my stats because it helps others see how websites and writers shape over time. I even have an Events page so readers can see where I’ve come from in order to get where I am today. So, I am going to do that with Minutes Before Sunset. Below, you can explore a timeline that showcases the moments that grew this novel over the past year. To keep it simple, I am ONLY including events about The Timely Death Trilogy. If you want to know about everything I’ve been up to – like my other publications or how I became C.O.O. of AEC Stellar Publishing – click here or visit my Events page at the top.
When you explore the timeline below, all links will take you to a relevant blog post. Throughout this post, I have added more about my life that I haven’t mentioned before now, so I hope you enjoy it!
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May 1, 2013: Release Day
Originally, AEC released ebooks before paperbacks. (Now, we’re the opposite.) So May 1 came around and the ebook of Minutes Before Sunset was released first.
May 10, 2013: Full Paperback Preview
Again, we didn’t have the full layout at first, so the back of the novel changed a few times. This ended up being the final version, and it still looks like this today, and the back description was chosen by readers who voted between three different options. Fun fact: I took the photograph on the back cover. It was really important for me to have it on the novel. Thankfully, AEC Stellar approved it. 😀
May, 23, 2013: I Received My Paperback in the Mail
I put three pictures below. The photo on the left was the day I received Minutes Before Sunset in the mail. My father took the picture on his back patio. I love that grill on the left. Bogart loves napping in that orange, lawn chair. And I am wearing one of my late mother’s rings – a sapphire I inherited from her. You might recognize the clothes I am because they were on “Dress Like the Book” photograph (on the right) I shared last month.
June 4, 2013: Goodreads Nomination
Minutes Before Sunset was nominated for Goodreads Book of the Month for General Fiction of July, 2013.
June 14, 2013: Paperback Released
June 28, 2013: Minutes Before Sunset awarded “Book of the Month” for General Fiction on Goodreads.
This still means so much to me. To all those who voted back then, thank you. I still hold this moment so close to my writer’s heart.
July 27, 2013: Book Signing
Originally, I had a book signing at a huge event for novels in Missouri, but I had to cancel last minute due to unfortunate and unavoidable circumstances. I still wanted to share it on this timeline because it is relevant to this past year, and it was probably one of those sadder moments where you feel really let down. A book release isn’t all fun and games, but it ended up being smiles in the end. 😀
August 11, 2013: New Edition Released
Minutes Before Sunset was redone – mainly because the first cover was extremely washed out – but there are some inside edits that were adds. This is still the edition used today. The photo below was of the day I received this new version in the mail.
September 30, 2013: Soundtrack:
Minutes Before Sunset now has a soundtrack on 8tracks, which you can still listen to by clicking here. The songs include the XX, Florence + the Machine, Jem, and more, but I wanted to say one thing. I rarely write with music. I might brainstorm with music, but it’s difficult for me to write with music playing, so these songs are what I pictured playing in the background of a movie if it were ever made.
October 14, 2013: My Stats Started Spiking
After hitting #407 in Paranormal Romance, I feel like this was the week Minutes Before Sunset began picking up the great traction is still has today. I still haven’t figured it out, but during this week, T. Harv Eker, #1 NY Times Bestselling author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, quoted me on his page. Following that, Shawne Duperon, 6-time Emmy winner and founder of Project Forgive also retweeted the quote and tweeted to me. My novel was also put on a bookshelf in a store for the first time. But who knows? This world is mysterious. I simply trust my gut when I say this is where I think it started.
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6 Months
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November 2, 2013: Seconds Before Sunrise Announcements
Seconds Before Sunrise (book 2) is copyrighted and receives ISBN. This is when I really started advertising my next novel’s release (which just happened March 27) – so I took a number of months to connect with reviewers and interviewers while also pushing out more information about Minutes Before Sunset so new readers had a chance to catch up.
November 15, 2013: Dream and Stats
I shared an excerpt from my actual diary from when I was having the dreams that turned in The Timely Death Trilogy. The reason I’m sharing it again as an event is because my sales spiked. (Again, I think this is where things started speeding up for the next release. I like to share this information in the hopes that other authors can see correlations and try it out for themselves.)
December 1, 2013: Seconds Before Sunrise cover reveal
As many of you know, the cover reveal for Seconds Before Sunrise was also a scavenger hunt across 50 AMAZING blogs. Special thanks goes out to everyone who helped me with the event, including Viola Estrella for dealing with my very specific vision for this cover.
December 2, 2013: Under the Dome is reading Minutes Before Sunset
Andrew Vogel, the actor who plays Carter Thibodeau in Under The Dome On CBS, is reading “Minutes Before Sunset.”
December 8, 2013: Country-Singer Quotes Seconds Before Sunrise
Seconds Before Sunrise was quoted by singer, Don Pedigo, with his music video, Sunroom Sessions: Cheap Unleaded. CMT calls Don “The hard-rocking heartthrob from the Heartland.”
December 13, 2013: Eric Welborn’s Birthday
Okay. Okay. I know it’s fictional, but his birthday in the novel falls on Friday the 13th, and it was a Friday the 13th that VERY year.
February 9, 2014: Book Trailer
The book trailer for Minutes Before Sunset releases.
February 24, 2014: Copyright Infringement
Three writers took the insides from Minutes Before Sunset and were selling them off as their own work. I shared my emotions about this event, which is now resolved.
March 4, 2014: Minutes Before Sunset reached top 1,000 in the Kindle Store
March 16, 2014: Seconds Before Sunrise (book 2) on Amazon for pre-order
Remember, now AEC releases paperbacks before ebooks. (The ebook of Seconds Before Sunrise releases THIS June.)
March 22, 2014: Seconds Before Sunrise Paperback Arrives
These moments are huge. I never forget them, and I always keep the very first novel I receive on display on my bookshelf. My father took this photo as well. Same back patio – just in the corner this time. I had barely slept the night before because I was out of town, and my dad had texted me to tell me they had arrived. After that, I couldn’t to get back home to hold them!
On the same day, Minutes Before Sunset hit 100 ratings on Goodreads at 4.48 stars. I am so happy that so many people have not only read my novels but have taken the time to rate and review them. As of today, The Timely Death Trilogy has 129 ratings at 4.43 stars.
March 27, 2014: Seconds Before Sunrise releases! (paperback only)
We had a lovely time, too! Seconds Before Sunrise made it onto bookshelves, Eric wore a bow, and people won signed paperbacks. We also made it into the top 1,000 in Kindle Store again.
April 5, 2014: Cute Couples Reading Cute Stories
Yep. I just called my novels cute. (These two make it look so adorable!)
April 8, 2014: Press Release for Seconds Before Sunrise:
This was my first press release. Ever. So I was really happy to finally see it: “Award-Winning Paranormal Fiction Author Publishes Second Book In The Timely Death Trilogy.”
ONE YEAR
May 1, 2014
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Because I shared so many extras along the way, please check out these pages: Extras and Reviews. They include what cars the characters drive, personality quizzes, photos, floor plans, and more. The Reviews page includes every blogger that I know of that has reviewed The Timely Death Trilogy. (Thank you so much!)
But wait! There’s even more.
I have future publications coming your way: the ebook of Seconds Before Sunrise releases June 12th, and Death Before Daylight is about to be sent into my content editor. I also have my next novel – that I am still referring to as TMT – coming out THIS YEAR. That’s right. This year. And sooner than you think. I’ll have more news about it soon, so be sure to come back.
The Timely Death Trilogy is only beginning.
~SAT
Shannon A. Thompson 
Just wow and a great post. Congrats and thanks for sharing. May the next year be fantastic as well
I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂 It’s both difficult and enjoyable to summarize one year of work. I hope the next year is great, too.
~ SAT
Congrats on your success, such an amazing time you have had! 🙂
Thank you. 😀 It has certainly been an adventure. I am looking forward to the next steps.
~SAT
Happy anniversary. Really shows that a lot can happen in a year.
Thank you 😀 I think so, too. I wanted to share for both authors and those who are considering venturing into the publishing world. It might help others understand what all can happen or it might even give other authors some ideas to try themselves. :]
~SAT
Always an inspiration to see how people got to where they are. Personally, I think the musician and actor are epically cool. Especially in the first year.
Me, too. 😀 I love hearing about the adventures of fellow authors. I thought the musician and actor were super nice to mention me! I am having David Congalton, author of “Authors Anonymous” on here on May 3, so it seems that it keeps growing. It’s amazing how websites can open so many forms of communication.
~SAT
Definitely going to keep an eye out for that guest post. I agree that the usefulness of a blog is amazing. Never even considered it become my central hub of activity when I started.
I agree. I thought my blog would just hover in the shadows of the internet corners. I always tell aspiring writers to start one. It’s a great place to meet readers and writers.
~SAT
I do the same because I’ve met so many authors through it. Kind of hard to do a blog tour and cover reveal without one too.
Congratulations on all your success! I’ve been following you since late last year and got to see a lot of these events as they happened. It’s a pleasure to watch you achieve your goals. I hope your success only expands from here.
Sam,
You are too kind! I am glad to have had you through these past few months. I’m always afraid posts like this will seem repetitive, but – then again – I even had some reminders when I was collecting information to get on here, so hopefully, it is fun. 😀
Thank you for your kind encouragement,
~SAT
Congratulations and Happy Anniversary! This is awesome and very inspirational.
Thank you! I am glad you liked it.
~SAT
Wow… You are such an inspiration. Hopefully I can get like you and accomplish that much with my books. Congrats!
So cool and inspiring to read!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
~ SAT
What a year full of fantastic achievements!
You’re a wonderful writer with an extremely bright future ahead of you.