Writing

Podcast News

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As I mentioned in the earlier post today, last week I attended virtually a workshop called “Writing for the Ear.” Not only did we learn about how to structure our writing for the listener, but we got practical tools and experience in creating our very own podcast.

I’ve been posting recordings of my reading excerpts from my books here on the website and calling it the “Real Spies, Real Lives Podcast.” Though I’ve been pushing the podcast on social media, there’s really no way for me to see any analytics, i.e., how many people are listening, if anyone is listening. But with the tools learned at the workshop, I’ve now taken the podcast to a wider distribution, meaning you don’t have to come here to hear it.

Where can you listen?

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/p-a-duncan

Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/real-spies-real-lives-a-hint-of-romance

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9jMGIyMzk4L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz

RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/real-spies-real-lives-a-hint-of-r-85wbZ0

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4NnZybpKXcoFEBSqnl9VIy

Spotify! How cool is that?

If you have an RSS app, here is the podcast’s RSS feed: https://anchor.fm/s/c0b2398/podcast/rss

Probably in the next week or so, I’ll stop posting excerpts on the website–though “Past Podcasts” will stay here–and post exclusively to Anchor, which then distributes the episodes to the other services. I’ll probably alternate weeks with an excerpt and a chat about something writing- or espionage-related.

And…in a few days I could be on Apple Podcasts. Wow! Take a workshop and look what happens: an old dog learned a lot of new tricks.

Cover Reveal and Virtual Book Launch

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On April Fools Day, I revealed the cover of the fourth and final book in the series, A Perfect Hatred. Of course, I had a little fun with it. I posted a cover of a bearded, shirtless man with a man-bun and a kitten on his shoulder and raved about how perfect I thought the cover was. Needless to say, the reaction was mixed. A few minutes later, I posted the real cover and had a few laughs.

When I purchased this cover graphic two years ago, it was hard to keep it under wraps for two years. This was so perfect for the subject matter, and I hope you like it as much as I do. By the way, Collateral Damage is available for preorder. Click on the image above to do so.

And What is a Virtual Book Launch Anyway?

Recent circumstances eliminated my dilemma over which book store in my town to host the launch of Collateral Damage. With everyone in Virginia on lockdown until June 10, my only option is a virtual launch online.

The launch will still take place on April 19, 2020, but will be held on my Facebook Group Page, “Readers Who Love Real Spies with Real Lives.” However, that’s a private group–to keep scammers and spammers out–so if you don’t already belong to the group, you’ll have to join. That’s no big deal. Click on join, answer a couple of questions, and the group admin (that’s me) will approve. (You can always leave after the book launch event, but try it out for a few weeks at least.)

Throughout the day on April 19, I’ll schedule posts with trivia (answers enter you to win free eBooks), go live with some background on A Perfect Hatred, and answer questions from readers. There’ll be lots of cool prizes (gift cards, the aforementioned free eBooks, and a grand prize of something special from the KGB Museum’s gift shop in New York) and fun things to do. And I’ll do my best to alleviate some of that stuck-at-home ennui many of us have been suffering with.

I hope to see everyone “there.”

To join “Readers Who Love Real Spies with Real Lives,” click HERE.

I almost forgot to mention, when you join the Facebook group, you’ll get a free copy of a “top secret” dossier on one of my main protagonists, Maitland “Mai” Fisher. So, see, you win a prize right off the bat!