Yesterday I was lucky enough to bag a BookBub deal for the UK, US, Canada and Australia.
The link to the ad will still be live for a few days, and you can follow me on bookbub too. The Lost Sentinel bookbub deal. They ran with the hook line;
“On an island where those with magic are exiled, a tailor’s daughter must hide her abilities — and find the one who will help save their home. This spellbinding novel kicks off an action-packed fantasy trilogy!”
At my last check this morning I’ve sold in the US, UK, Canada and Australia
The Lost Sentinel sold 244 KENP 450
The Sentinel’s Reign Sold 73
The Sentinel’s Alliance Sold 44
Book rankings 7 in CA store for Sword and Sorcery
45 in US store for Action and Adventure fantasy.
And in the top 100 in the UK ,US and Canada.
I’ll keep you posted on the stats at the end of the month. It’s good to have a written record of how these ads perform as a way to judge whether they still have an impact. And maybe my data will help you decide if it’s worth paying the big money for ads in the future. It all depends on your goals – mine is to re-spark an interest in an older series and show off the new cover and blurb.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed and wait to see what has happened by the end of April.
If you’d like to help, the book will be on sale until 28th April. Any shares of my posts and sales will help give the rankings a boost.
And with book 2 also at 99p, the complete series is available for under £6.00.
Thanks for reading and following my author journey. If you have any advice or wisdom to share please do. Or if you are just starting out and want to talk things through, don’t be shy in asking for help.
You’ll have to be quick to pick up some bargains in the Indie Book Sale as it ends today – 13th April 2026.
I’ve picked up a few books and look forward to reading them.
Death’s Disciple by Emma L Adams.
Seven years ago, Captain Yala Palathar was a hero. She and her squad of close-knit dragon-riding warriors were Laria’s elite, fighting for their nation alongside the monarch and his magic-wielding Disciples. Seizing control of an unmanned island should have been a simple mission, but Yala’s squad was little prepared for the horror and tragedy that awaited. Instead of triumph, all Yala and her allies found was death.
Years on, Yala lives in seclusion in the deep jungle, ignoring the rumours of unrest in the capital following the end of the war. She little expects assassins to find her hideout – nor does she anticipate the mission that ended her career to have given rise to rumours that see her targeted by mercenaries vying to claim a price on her head. With the other survivors from her squad being picked off one by one, she has little choice but to return to the capital in the hopes of finding answers.
Whether the truth lies with the Disciples of the Flame – who refused to believe her stories of the monstrous beasts that haunted the island – or with the long-dead king who sent her squad to their doom, one thing is clear. Yala must finish the battle she started all those years ago… even if it brings her face to face with the god of death Himself.
Hall of Bones by Tim Hardie
If you like Robin Hobb, Giles Kristian or John Gwynne you will love this Viking-inspired dark epic fantasy series. When a new enemy comes to power Rothgar’s ruling family and friends are forced to ally with old rivals. Faced with betrayal from within their own clan Rothgar’s survival is by no means certain, as an ancient and malevolent magic grows in strength and threatens all he holds dear.
In the remote land of Laskar the seven ruling clans have vied with each other for power for over a century. The son of the Reavesburg Clan Chief, Rothgar, has been groomed all his life for a role supporting his elder brother, Jorik, in leading their kingdom when their father’s time finally comes to an end.
However, the rulers of their greatest rivals, the Vorund Clan, are in the grip of something older and far darker. They have been conquered by evil, a remnant from the time when the gods warred with one another and the world of Amuran collapsed into the Fallen Age.
Everything is about to change …
The first book in The Brotherhood of the Eagle series, Hall of Bones begins a tale of epic fantasy, magic and intrigue.
Platinum Tinted Darkness book 1 and book 2 Tears of the Maelstrom by Timothy Wollf (both books are free at present)
When the gods send their harbingers, the Guardians are all who stand in the way. But who protects these defenders when the gods seek to sway them?
Crystal mage Serenna Morgan struggles to maintain the neutrality of the Guardian Pact when a neighboring kingdom invades her own. The God of Death offers his divine power to stop the invasion. For a price. As the conflict escalates, the remaining Guardians fall prey to the other meddling deities, and the choice given to Serenna might be the only thing that keeps them together. Or results in their doom.
Not all gods love their people, but the ones that do may end up the most dangerous.
No Heart For A Thief by James Lloyd Dulin (I actually forgot that I bought this book a few years ago in the sale. So I’m looking forward to reading it.)
We are the stories we tell ourselves…even the lies.
The Thief, a great spirit, and her descendants have abused their ability to steal magic for centuries. When Kaylo starts to hear the song of other people’s magic, he must learn to hide from his people as well as the invaders. A gift or a curse, Kaylo may be able to save his people from the Gousht Empire that claimed their land with this stolen magic.
Eighteen years later, Kaylo still prays to the spirits, but not out of loyalty or love. He knows better than to rely on those selfish bastards for anything. While hiding in the forest from his foolish acts of rebellion, he encounters a girl, Tayen, being pursued by two soldiers of the empire. Against his better judgment, he risks facing the consequences of his past to intervene.
When Tayen attempts to run off seeking vengeance for her family, he offers to train her to wield her magic and a blade. If he can’t convince her to relinquish her need for vengeance and stave off the demons of his past, he’s going to get them both killed.
Another free book to download direct from the author – That which Follows you home by Josiah D Blizzard
The Long Dream by C.M.Debell (a bargain boxset for only 99p)
In Andeira, the dragons vanished 3,000 years ago, their magic lost and forgotten. But without humankind’s ancient partners in magic, the world is slowing dying. One young mage dreams of fulfilling his father’s dying wish and returning the dragons to the world, but in his way stand the powers that have filled the vacuum of their absence – and the ancient enemy from which they fled millennia ago.
The Crimson Court by Brendan Noble (the longest book on my list at 580 pages)
Game of Thrones meets the industrial revolution in this revenge-filled epic where secret societies pull the hidden threads of power, ravenous spirits haunt the skies, and magic comes at a heavy cost.
To find her father’s killers, she must join their shadowy order… then shatter it from within.
An upstart noblewoman from a fallen house, Kasia Niezik has sworn to destroy the elusive Crimson Court who assassinated her father. She is a Reacher of the forbidden realm of Death, able to kill with ease, but her near immortal foes scheme behind the veils of power.
So she will tear their veil to shreds.
Kasia travels to her nation’s heart, seeking allies either brave or foolish enough to help her infiltrate the Crimson elites. Whether spirit hunter, politician, princess, or thief, though, everyone has a hidden agenda. And those with the widest smiles hold daggers behind their backs.
Dive with a diverse and inclusive cast into this world of fantasy intrigue where flintlock guns, risky magic, crystalline dragons, and dangerous spirits clash amid shadowy bids for power. Revenge is sweet, but at what cost?
***
And don’t forget, The Lost Sentinel is in the sale (and book 2 is also discounted)
The magical island of Kalaya is dying, and it falls to Tei, an exiled mystic, to save it. But with Kalaya’s corrupt Assembly attempting to eradicate magic, can Tei help the exiles restore the island’s power before it’s too late?
When her father is murdered by the Assembly’s Masked Riders, Tei flees to the hidden mountain sanctuary of Turrak. Welcomed by the exiles, she is tasked with finding the realm’s next Sentinel before the old one dies. Tei must navigate the monster-ridden Astral Plane, while being pursued by the Soul Eater, a dark entity that devours lost spirits.
As Tei risks everything to find the hidden Sentinel, a lone Assemblyman attempts to dismantle the Assembly from within and prevent its persecution of magic. While across the Silent Sea, a reluctant naval commander, who is being manipulated by telepathic visions, readies an invasion fleet, pulling all their destinies towards a devastating war for the island’s survival.
To save Kalaya, Tei must learn that true power isn’t just about wielding magic – it’s about surviving the devastating sacrifices required to protect it.
If you like multi-dimensional characters in intricate worlds, then you’ll love The Lost Sentinel – the spellbinding novel that kicks off the action-packed fantasy trilogy Silent Sea Chronicles.
I’m excited to share the indie international book sale starts today and runs 11th to 13th April. There are close to 300 books in fantasy, sci-fi and horror. All these books are either free or discounted. The sale is run by Narratess and links to all the books can be found here.
Here’s a few snap shots of the books on offer.
As you can see The Lost Sentinel book 1 in Silent Sea Chronicles trilogy is on sale for just 99p. I also decided to put book 2, The Sentinel’s Reign, down to £1.99.
It’s worth taking a look at the website and picking up some great new reads. I can’t wait to have a browse. Let me know what books take your fancy and I might share some of my buys at the end of the sale.
August bank holiday is the perfect time to sit back, relax and pick up a few bargain reads. That’s why many of my fellow fantasy, sci-fi and horror authors have got together to offer a sale of their books. This time there are 300 books on offer!
For a change, I’ve decided to offer both The Lost Sentinel and The Sentinel’s Reign at the discounted price of 99p each.
‘A story in which the authors world building is exceptional, I was immersed in Tei’s story from beginning to end and the characters were fantastically developed.’ Vine Voice Reviewer
‘THE SENTINEL’S REIGN breathes life into an island of magic as well as enemies thirsting for its power. Adventurous and unique this fantasy only gets more captivating with every turn.’ Amazon reviewer
There are loads of bargain books on offer for the next 3 days. Please head over to the Narratess Indie Salewebsite for all the details and links to the individual sales page. There are filters on the page to make searching for your perfect read easier, and so many attention grabbing covers. What a treat.
I’m looking forward to adding a few new reads to my collection. I hope you enjoy the sale. Let me know what you get. And don’t forget to share on social media. #NarratessIndieSale
Happy weekend everyone. I hope you are all doing well and at least the sun is shining in Surrey for a change!
I just wanted to share the news that the first two books in Silent Sea Chronicles trilogy are 99p until 24th February.
‘I highly recommend checking this one out. It’s addictive, fast-paced, with some really fantastic world-building. I can’t wait to continue in this series!’ Goodreads Reviewer
This is just a super quick reminder that the box set returns to full price at the end of the weekend. Usually £6.99 you can pick up the complete trilogy for only £2.99 worldwide.
Fabulous Saga… it’s well written and utterly magical! (Amazon) Shelley Clarke
Tei has magic in a world where people like her are persecuted and forced into exile. Whilst fleeing their home, her father is attacked and his deathbed confession reveals a dangerous secret that will change her life forever.
Tei’s homeland, the magical island of Kalaya, is dying and without a Sentinel to restore the magic, it’s only a matter of time before all life is wiped out.
She must join the exiles in the search for the lost Sentinel, but they are not the only ones after the missing guardian. Sinister Masked Riders are on their trail and time is running out.
Tei must risk everything she loves to save Kalaya, but is she ready to make that sacrifice?
1396 pages of magic, adventure and intrigue.
This epic fantasy box set contains: The Lost Sentinel – Book 1 The Sentinel’s Reign – Book 2 The Sentinel’s Alliance – Book 3
Praise for Silent Sea Chronicles…
This is a story about war, magic, and destiny, which you cannot miss. Following the characters during their journeys has been incredible… (Goodreads) Sofia – A book. A thought.
Love this series!!…The Sentinel’s Alliance is an epic conclusion to a fantastic series. (Amazon) Jessica Belmont
What an epic journey this trilogy has been…There are some terrific battle scenes, with massive shocks, and mouth dropping moments that I just hadn’t seen coming, all delivered with Rogerson perfection. (Amazon top 1000 reviewer. Vine Voice) Susan Hampson
Rogerson has managed to craft together a fantasy trilogy that is simultaneously complex and quick. So many layers and twists are woven throughout the books and yet it never feels too heavy, the pace moves at a determined clip and action holds one’s attention captive. (Amazon) Angela – Pooled Ink Reviews
I hope everyone is well and attempting to make the best of a bad situation. 2020 has been hard and the hopes for a normal Christmas for many in the UK have been taken away at short notice. I’m sad not to be able to spend the day with my parents but completely support the decision. All we can do is look forward to a time when things can get back to normal.
I’m determined to keep positive and part of that for me is making plans to start publishing again in 2021. Very soon I will share these plans with you; I find it helps to record my goals, hoping by some miracle that telling the world will somehow make me stick to them!
Over the festive period I also want to share the books I’ve enjoyed in both fiction and non-fiction. I’ve smashed my target of 15 on Goodreads – I think by the end of the year I’ll have doubled that target.
For now I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I’ve also decided to discount my Silent Sea Chronicles box set to £2.99 worldwide for the rest of the year.
‘This is an amazing and epic fantasy trilogy, which will take you on an exciting, gripping and emotional journey!‘
Tei has magic in a world where people like her are persecuted and forced into exile. Whilst fleeing their home, her father is attacked and his deathbed confession reveals a dangerous secret that will change her life forever.
Tei’s homeland, the magical island of Kalaya, is dying and without a Sentinel to restore the magic, it’s only a matter of time before all life is wiped out.
She must join the exiles in the search for the lost Sentinel, but they are not the only ones after the missing guardian. Sinister Masked Riders are on their trail and time is running out.
Tei must risk everything she loves to save Kalaya, but is she ready to make that sacrifice?
1396 pages of magic, adventure and intrigue.
This epic fantasy box set contains: The Lost Sentinel – Book 1 The Sentinel’s Reign – Book 2 The Sentinel’s Alliance – Book 3
I’ve been so busy editing my new project and reading how-to books on writing a series that I’ve completely forgotten to share some great events that are taking place at the moment.
Firstly, Visions of Zarua is on sale for a limited time at just 99p worldwide on Amazon.
With the audiobook also out, you can get a huge discount if you purchase both. An audiobook for just £2.99 is a bargain! Audible.
I’m also excited to announce that the first audiobook tour will be taking place in November with Audiobookworm. Here’s the tour link to check the details and sign up.
The audiobook has only been out a few weeks and we’re eager to see what listeners think, so if you fancy a free review copy why not sign up and join in the fun in November.
Here’s a sample of George Ellington in action…
If November is too soon to commit to listening and reviewing fear not, there will be more opportunities in January 2021 in the form of a 1 day blitz with Rachel’s Random Resources. More details on this to follow.
And I’m excited to say the production of book 2 The Sentinel’s Reign is coming on really well, fingers crossed we can get it out before Christmas.
I hope to share news of my new project very soon, so watch this space.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic and heroic fantasy
Last week I did something I said to myself at the start of my indie career that I would never do, I gave away a book for free.
I’ve done a fair amount of 99p deals and sales drops, but to set it to free and then pay to advertise it didn’t make sense to me.
But being the start of a trilogy it can be good business to give away book 1 for a limited period. If people enjoy book 1, they will hopefully go on to buy and read books 2 and 3. And, all going well I’ve gained a new, avid reader for future books. Still it is a risk and can be an expensive one too.
My Tactic
I set book 1 to free for the full 5 days allowed in my KDP Select 3 month period. Then I set book 2 and 3 to 99p each for the 7 days allowed starting on the same day as the free 5 day promotion.
I stacked ads for each day to maximise the reach of my free book offer. This was great for achieving downloads but it has meant I’ve no idea what ads were any good. (List of ad companies further down in this post).
I did use the tactic of using the biggest hitter for my genre (Book Barbarian) in the middle of the promo period, which helped me reach no.1 in the US. See more on this below.
The Results
Downloads of The Lost Sentinel over the 5 free days 10th to 14th August = 3862
Purchases of books 2 and 3 over the 7 day KDP free days = 143
KENP – pages read through Kindle Unlimited since 10th August to date = Over 5K
Reviews and Ratings. So far I’ve received a 4 and 5 star review, and a 5 star rating. I’m hoping to see more popping over over the coming weeks. I’ve also gained a few new followers on BookBub which is always good.
Amazon 5 Stars. Captivating… ‘I’ve been reading fantasy and SF for over fifty years. I recognize a born story teller when I read one. Suzanne Rogerson held me spellbound. The author is destined to become a legend.’
Goodreads 4 star – ‘Very interesting premise… The world building was amazing. The lands of Kalaya and Tei’s powers of astral projection were so vividly described that it was beautiful to read about it. Tei’s journey and the twist in the end added to the enjoyment of the story. Liked it.’
The Cost
I spend a few hundred pounds setting this up and have so far earnt back nearly half of what I laid out in advertising costs. That’s not bad, especially if it continues to help people discover my books and they keep reading them through Kindle Unlimited. Who knows maybe in time it will have broken even.
This experiment wasn’t so much about the money, but about reaching readers. I’m happy to have been able to reach 3862 new ones across the world!
The BIG BIG Benefit
The Lost Sentinel reached No.1 in three countries and in some cases held the spot for two/three consecutive days.
No. 1 best seller in US – Categories = Romantic fantasy, Woman’s fantasy fiction, Action and Adventure Fantasy, New Adult and college fantasy. At various times The Lost Sentinel held spots 2 and 3 in Epic fantasy, Sword and Sorcery and Coming of Age Fantasy.
The top sales rank it reached across all free kindle books in the US was 83 and it reached no. 4 in the top free fantasy books. That really made my day.
No. 1 best seller in UK – Categories = Low Fantasy, Fantasy Adventure Fiction, Contemporary Fantasy and Action and Adventure Fiction. It also reached no.2 in Coming of Age fantasy and Epic Fantasy, and 3 in Sword and Sorcery.
The Lost Sentinel also reached No. 4 in all free fantasy books and was no 5 in all sci-fi and fantasy free books in the UK.
No. 1 best seller in Canada – Categories = Coming of Age Fantasy. Placed 2nd in Epic and 3rd in Sword and Sorcery.
Top sales rank of all free books 29. No. 4 in top free fantasy books in Canada.
No.2 in Australia for Epic fantasy and 73 across the whole of free books in Australia.
As well as these four countries, The Lost Sentinel was also downloaded in Brazil, Germany, India, Netherlands, France, Spain, Japan, Italy and Mexico. I achieved high rankings in many of these countries too.
I’ve tried to do some research to understand the numbers but all I can find out is that there could be around 6 million ebooks available on kindle. I don’t know how many of those are free at any one time, but those are big numbers and I’m so proud to see my book reaching such heights.
Would I recommend running a free book promotion?
100% yes. But I would only do this for book 1 in a trilogy or the start of a series and I would wait until the rest of the books are available to hopefully encourage follow on sales and read throughs.
A Warning
Watching the downloads come in and getting to No 1 is quite addictive, so don’t plan on doing much else whilst your promotion is running.
It’s a heady experience, which means the come down is hard. When it’s all over you’re left feeling deflated. And it is a shame to see the ranking disappear after the free promo is over. My advice is to take screenshots so you can look back and say it really did happen!
Would I change anything?
I wish I’d booked more ads for the last day of the promo period. After all the excitement midway through, the last day felt like a let down with dwindling sales. It would have been great to go out with a bang.
Ad companies I used in my free promo.
Note – I can’t say for sure where the downloads came from. I’m just providing you with a list of the ad companies I used. There are so many to choose from that you should do your research and learn from trial and error.
Day 1 – Just Kindle Books, Book Reader magazine, Pretty Hot books (119 free downloads, 8 sales)
Day 2 – FKBT, Awesome book promo, James H Mayfield VA services (551 free downloads, 15 sales)
Day 3 – Book Barbarian, BK Nights (1291 free downloads, 57 sales)
Day 4 – Book Runes, Awesome gang, eReader IQ, Book Cave (1426 free downloads, 31 sales)
Day 5 – Book Doggy (475 downloads, 24 sales)
Day 6 and 7 after the free promo ended. 8 sales.
A big thank you to Bklnk.com This is a great resource to check what categories your books are in and their rankings across Amazon in the US, UK and Canada.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic and heroic fantasy
This has been a mad week with some strange happenings, not least the heatwave that’s gripped the UK. I’ve reached a huge goal seeing The Lost Sentinel hit best seller status in 3 countries – US, UK and Canada and in a number of categories.
You can grab your own free copy here. Plus the rest of the series is on sale for only 99p each.
I won’t go into more details about it now, I’ll save that for a follow up post next week where I’ll analyse my results, share the data, as well as my formula for reaching No. 1 in various Top 100 free ebook lists.
Right now this is just a quick reminder that the book will go back to full price at midnight tonight and I will lose my no.1 status (sad face!). But I can now call The Lost Sentinel a best seller, and I think that also means I can call myself a best selling author?! BEST SELLING AUTHOR!!! Cue happy dance!
Once this excitement has died down there will be more great things coming up. In September, starting on 6th, there will be a blog tour for Silent Sea Chronicles and for the first time The Lost Sentinel will be featured by bookstagrammers on Instagram.
I’m also hoping the audiobook will go live on Audible, iTunes and Amazon very soon. I can’t wait to see what people think of George Ellington’s brilliant narration of book 1.
This is my last chance to persuade people to pick up The Lost Sentinel for free so here goes…
Tei’s homeland, the magical island of Kalaya, is dying. Without a Sentinel to restore the magic soon all life will perish. Tei must join the exiles in their quest to find the missing Sentinel before mysterious masked riders catch up with them. The price of success threatens to destroy everything Tei loves; is she brave enough to make the sacrifice?
Thanks to everyone for their comments and shares over all social media platforms. I appreciate your help. Best selling author, Suzanne Rogerson, over and out!
Books, games, music, and life — filtered through the mind of a writer, drummer, and philosopher who thinks too deeply about all of it. If it moves something in your chest, I'm interested.