The one with the Summer Nights offers and some RNLI news
Tuesday next week (6th June) will be the two-month anniversary of the release of Summer Nights at The Starfish Café - the final book in the three-book series. This morning, I've just spotted that it has passed the 1,500 reviews/ratings milestone on Amazon which I'm absolutely delighted with so thank you so much to everyone who has read and shared the book love already. Leaving a review/rating makes such a difference for authors as moving up the chart works on algorithms. Amazon's algorithms are triggered by activity and therefore sales (or borrows via the Prime Reading or Kindle Unlimited programmes) aren't the only thing that have an impact on movement – a reader leaving a review or rating does too. The more a book then moves up the chart, the more Amazon's other algorithms kick in to make it visible and, the more that happens, the more successful a book is. The more successful a book is, the more books an author can keep writing. So please, please do leave reviews – even really short ones – or ratings for your favourite books.
That wasn't actually the purpose of this post, though!
On 1st June 2023, Summer Nights at The Starfish Café went into Global Prime Reading so anyone with a Prime Reading subscription can access it for free for at least the next 12 weeks. The eBook has also had a price drop to 99p. This is unlikely to last for that long so, if you haven't already grabbed yourself a copy, this is a great time to do so.
It was also on a Kindle Daily Deal on Thursday (the day it went into Prime Reading) which gave it a lovely little boost back into the Top 100 to #68. Sadly, it didn't stay in the Top 100 for long and has already dipped out, but I have the evidence to prove it was there! Thanks to everyone who helped that happen. The highest position so far was publication day where it climbed a tiny bit higher to #62.
For anyone in Kindle Unlimited, it has always been in there so can be borrowed for free. This applies to all my titles.
In honour of the completion of The Starfish Café series, my fabulous publishers, Boldwood Books, have made the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) their charity of the year. The official wording, approved by the RNLI is: Boldwood Books are proud to support the RNLI. Boldwood Books have pledged a donation to the RNLI in 2023 as part of our support for the work they do saving lives at sea.
For complicated reasons, we can't directly say that if you purchase or borrow Summer Nights at The Starfish Café, you'll be helping the amazing work of the RNLI because Boldwood will directly donate the the RNLI a percentage of the profits from the sale of each book in all formats for a whole year since April's release (including pre-orders). Definitely not saying anything like that anywhere. You haven't heard it from me. The statement in bold says it all ;-)
If anyone has read the series, you'll have come across mentions of Stormy Stan, the giant mascot of the RNLI. I haven't made him up – he's completely real and I intentionally didn't change his name. He features in book 1 – Snowflakes Over The Starfish Café, doesn't get mentioned in book 2 – Spring Tides at The Starfish Café, but does return for a starring role in book 3 – Summer Nights at The Starfish Café.
I therefore asked my friends at Scarborough Lifeboat Station whether I could meet Stormy Stan so I went for a photo shoot a few weeks ago. I'd have loved to stay longer and perhaps get Stan to do some more poses (I'm imagining a karate kick, a dab or a Saturday Night Fever pose here) but the crew member wearing the outfit had donned it for the first time for us and was clearly a bit embarrassed (as well as hot) so we only took a few very quick pics and then spared him from further humiliation, bless him.
If there's an event on at your local lifeboat station, you may get to meet Stormy Stan. He's apparently highly in demand so it's a big thing if he makes an appearance. I was looking back through my photo album and I found this pic from when he met my daughter at an event in Scarborough. She must have been about six. She's sixteen now! Excuse Stan's blurry hand as he waved which is lovely but doesn't work in a photo!
Have you ever met Stormy Stan? Would love to hear if you have.
Speaking of reviews – which we were earlier – the first book, Snowflakes Over The Starfish Café, is currently my most reviewed book at 6,982 reviews/ratings on Amazon. Would be amazing to get to that 7,000 milestone. If you've read it and loved it and haven't yet left a review/rating, it would be fabulous if you could. Only 18 to go at the time of writing!
Thank you to everyone who has bought or borrowed a copy of Summer Nights at The Starfish Café so far. If you've loved these books, please do recommend them to friends and family as recommendations are invaluable. I hope you've enjoyed the series. Don't tell the hedgehogs – shhh – but it's actually my personal favourite series so far.
Wishing you a fabulous weekend.
Big hugs
Jessica xx
Welcome back to The Starfish Café for a glorious summer, but with a few dark clouds on the horizon...
A new beginning...
As her summer wedding to Jake approaches, Hollie is excited for their new beginning as a family. But when some unexpected news threatens the future she and Jake had hoped for, Hollie will need to find the strength to overcome heartache once more.
A fragile heart…
Single mum, Kerry, loves her job at The Starfish Café, but behind the brave smiles and laughter with customers there is a sadness deep within. So when someone from her past re-appears in her life, Kerry can either hide away or face her demons and try to finally move on from her heartbreak.
A summer to remember…
For Hollie and Kerry it promises to be an emotional rollercoaster of a summer, but the community at The Starfish Café will always be there to help them through – after all, with courage nothing is impossible…
Join top 10 bestseller Jessica Redland for a wonderful summer at the seaside, full of love, friendship and community spirit