Last week I got some news that's equal parts exciting and terrifying.

Gift of Fire, the first book in my Elemental Bloodlines series, has been chosen for a BookBub Featured Deal!

Since you're a reader like me, you probably have some sort of relationship with BookBub already. Best place to find limited-time freebies and 99¢ deals, and one of the best places to discover new-to-you authors without dishing out a huge chunk of change to try out their writing style. And if, like my husband and me, you read on an app or device other than Kindle—my hubbie's an Apple Books person while I gravitate toward Smashwords—BookBub's great for not being overloaded with Kindle-only eBooks.

(Yes, here I am again grumbling about those sorts of eBooks. Sorry, not sorry. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, don't forget that you can totally try out Kobo Plus—a similar concept at a much better price—to binge-read books through a subscription program. Kobo Plus doesn't require indie authors to sell their books in only one place, while KU does. That's why none of my books live there.)

Well, now that I went off on that tangent, what does it mean that Gift of Fire has a BookBub Featured Deal coming up? When will it happen?

Glad you asked....

The BookBub Details

Like I mentioned above, BookBub promotes freebies and 99¢ sales on eBooks. Gift of Fire was chosen for a 99¢ deal that will run on July 7th. That's a Friday, so I'm not-so-secretly hoping lots of people will snag it for weekend reading.

Like most indie authors who publish on a whole bunch of retailers, I'll be slashing Gift of Fire's price early and keeping the price slashed for two weeks. That means if you haven't picked up the FIRST book in my Elemental Bloodlines series yet, the time to do so is fast approaching.

Gift of Fire will be 99¢ in *most* countries from July 3rd through July 16th. Yes, I'll make sure to send a reminder in my newsletter on Wednesday the 5th. Yes, there's always a chance some retailer or other (*ahem* not naming names) won't change the price appropriately. But I'll do all that's in my power to make sure it's 99¢ here, there, and everywhere.

Then you can dive into Gabi & Lukas' smoldering romance—a Teuton witch of red fire and a former high-school bully-turned-BOSS. A boss who just happens to pull Gabi's résumé out of a big pile to invite her to a job interview. A boss whose smoking hot body is a slight distraction—and whose elemental mist tantalizes Gabi's fiery spirit.

So what happens when mist and fire collide? Find out at a sweet discount in a couple weeks! Or find out today for full price. I'm not picky. 😉

https://bf.clcarhart.com/w721mjjj90

Now For The Honesty

You probably remember that C.L. Carhart tends to be a bit more up front about her indie author struggles than some people. So in an effort to be as transparent as possible, it's time to let you in on a little BookBub story. 😬

Back in 2021 when I began publishing my debut series, I started applying for BookBub Featured Deals shortly after Mystic Passage hit the retailers. To my utter surprise, the editors at BookBub chose my debut novel, Arcane Gateway, for a featured deal after only 2 rejections. (Authors typically get rejected over and over again before actually landing a deal. Similar in some ways to the traditional publishing route—rejection after rejection after rejection.)

Since I was a complete novice at that point, I made huge mistakes with my very first BookBub deal. First of all, I had only 2 books published, which meant I had only 1 full-priced eBook to help me make back the money I spent on the deal. BookBub Featured Deals carry a hefty price tag, and most of the time that money comings streaming back thanks to read-through (also known as sell-through). A reader enjoys Arcane Gateway while it's at 99¢? Let's hope they keep going & buy Mystic Passage at $4.99!

Great concept. Too bad it didn't work for me.

At all. 😔

My second mistake? I submitted Arcane Gateway into the BookBub category of Time Travel Romance. Why? Because that category was pretty darn cheap. And as the author who knew exactly where the entire series would end up, I was thinking, "Sure, Arcane Gateway's a time travel romance since Swanie falls for her one true love when she travels to the 11th century. In the second book."

Didn't realize most Time Travel Romance readers are into stuff like Outlander, where Claire and Jamie get together in Book 1. Oops. -facepalm-

Like I said, I was an ignorant novice. And I paid the price.

My BookBub deal in Time Travel Romance cost me $198.

How much did I make? Only $138.

That's a 70% ROI with a promo that *usually* brings indie authors 100%+ ROI.

Ouch.

It took me a long while to dare applying for BookBub deals again. Just started doing it a month ago. And now Gift of Fire is about to have its "trial by fire" with the BookBub audience. After what happened with Arcane Gateway, I'm terrified.

I know. I should be over the moon excited. And I am. But I'm terrified because this deal is in the Paranormal Romance category. Which is exactly where Gift of Fire ought to be.

And it cost me $540. 😱

That means I'm hoping, praying, begging for good vibes, and throwing every possible Elemental Bloodlines book I've got onto the retailers in a wild bid for read-through. The good thing is, Gift of Stone and Gift of Darkness are already out there waiting. Now our favorite prequel about Ilsa and Horst is also chilling casually on the retailers. Find it here: https://books2read.com/ebgiftofair

Before July 7th, I've got 2 more pre-orders to toss onto the retailers. One will be for Book 4 of Elemental Bloodlines, and the other will be for the Gift of Light novella about Helena and "Mr. K."

Will Gift of Fire actually resonate with BookBub readers and inspire a giant pile of read-through? Will I make back the $540 I spent for this opportunity?

You'd better believe I'll let you know as soon as I find out! I'm glad to have you rooting for Gift of Fire as it makes its splash in the BookBub world. 💖

How About Some Deals Right Now?

Now that you've gotten an inside look at an indie author's experience with BookBub, here's a nice batch of discounted eBooks for you to peruse right now. I see some intriguing titles hanging out in this book fair, including a couple collections that might have piqued my interest. Don't forget to scroll through the entire book fair so you don't miss any diamonds in the rough!

✨ Romantic Book Fair ✨

Other Books You Might Like

Got two enchanting freebies to share with you today. Each one asks for a newsletter signup in exchange for the book, so let's support my fellow indie authors! Curious about a paranormal security agent, or is a wolf shifter best friend's brother romance more your style? Take a look!

Ancient ocean legend, Lirikai of the Barra'kidai has awakened. She must discover if she is the last of her kind and if she can adapt to find her place in this new world.

Called in by the aquatic division, of the Global Paranormal Security Agency (GPSA), dragon shifter Carson Perenga investigates murder victims left on the beach, punctured with mysterious bite marks.

When Lirikai rolls out of the ocean surf asking after the Goddess in the ancient language, Carson questions whether she is connected to his case or if she was sent to him by his lost Goddess.

After centuries alone, how can Carson and Lirikai overcome their ingrained sense of duty and purpose to find common ground?

✨ FREE On BookFunnel ✨

He's the alpha’s heir and she's just been introduced to a world that only existed in fairy tales and 50s horror films. But she's his true mate and the key to the future of all shifters...if he can convince her she’s his perfect mate.

Lennon Lyall has known Geneva Caine since she was in grade school and set up a lemonade stand with his younger sister. Geneva is smart, beautiful and completely out of bounds. Not because she’s his sister’s best friend, but because she’s not entirely what she seems.

Geneva has crushed on Lennon since she was thirteen years old and had her first boyfriend. She never thought Lennon would ever see her as anything more than his younger sister’s annoying friend. But after learning about shifters, she agrees to work for Lennon in the family business. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with her childhood crush or to give it all up so Lennon can become the Alpha his pack needs.

With the fate of all wolf shifters’ future in the balance, destiny rears its head and sows seeds of doubt. Will the shifters lose their Muse and Lennon lose his mate or can he convince Geneva she’s his true mate, for always and forever?

✨ FREE On BookFunnel ✨

That's all for me, because I've got a LOT of prepping to do before Gift of Fire goes on sale in July. Plus, I technically ought to be working on Book 4 in Elemental Bloodlines, along with the bonus story about Doro and Amira.

Yeah, pretty sure I'm slightly behind now that BookBub took me by surprise.

Here's a quick look at a waterfall my husband and I visited last weekend in an effort to detach ourselves from the rush of humanity for a short time. This is the Lower Waterfall at Bubbling Spring Branch in the North Carolina mountains. Didn't see one other person on the trail, so I'd call that a success!

Got any outdoor pictures to share? Send some my way! I may not have time to lose myself in nature's wonder until after my BookBub deal has done its thing, so I'd love to marvel at your favorite hideaways. 🌳🌊🌵

Wishing you a wonderfully weird week, and stay awesome!

Talk to you soon,

C.L. Carhart

Get Dukes of Magic for free:

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/7yzvslyqb9

Check out the Elemental Bloodlines series:

https://clcarhart.com/collections/elemental-bloodlines-series-ebooks

Check out His Name Was Augustin series:

https://clcarhart.com/collections/hnwa-series-ebooks

This week's book fair:

https://bf.clcarhart.com/freeand99pennyprnscififantasyrom/wzlrxjh53o