Announcement, e-Book, Let’s Bake Cookie Squares and Biscotti, Permafree, Product, Self-publishing

Wild Day for My New e-Book!

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Let's Bake Cookie Squares and Biscotti!A year ago I started work on a free-sample e-book.  Life happened, Corona Virus quarantine stuff happened, priorities shifted and I wasn’t able to immediately finish the project.  15December2020 my permafree e-book “Let’s Bake Cookie Squares and Biscotti!” … PUBLISHED!!!  Since then, thing have been so busy I haven’t even had time to list the e-book on my site.
(Bear in mind, I also published a book on November 22nd and have been busy promoting it, too — find out more on BagpiperDon.com.)

The Patriotic Piper, Vol. I
The other book I published

This morning I woke to a message from my friend, Eldritch Black — another author here on Whidbey Island.  He has far more game than I do when it comes to the book-business world.  Lacking all possible caffeine in my system, I understood his message to say that “Let’s Bake Cookie Squares and Biscotti!” was listed on FreeBooksy.  I thought to myself, “What’s it doing on there — I didn’t list with them?!?”  Eldritch went on to say that it was registering at 48 in Amazon’s Top 100 and that I really needed to go take a look.

Saving you details of my sleep-tussled hair and long drawn out drama involved with getting out of bed, I finally got to my laptop and started examining data.  Over the course of today I watched the results from my author-interface on Amazon.com.  FreeBooksy’s free promotion Made Things GO NUTS!

Before I give you the end-of-day numbers, understand a few things first …

  • “Free” technically has a dollar amount — it is $0.00.
  • When someone buys a free e-book it counts as a sale.
  • My previous best number of sales in a day for Let’s Bake Cookie Squares and Biscotti was 104 copies on its second day of publication.  I’ve been proud of that number because most of those came from my work to promote it using my Twitter profile.

By the end of today,
my free-sample e-book achieved…

#35 Free in Kindle Store (Top 100)
#1 in 45-Minute Cookbook, Food & Wine Short Reads
#1 in Dessert Baking (Kindle Store)
#1 in Cookie Baking (Kindle Store)

And my little-ebook-that-could reached a new Record Sales In A Day rank …

2,822 Copies

It’s been a wonderfully wild day for Let’s Bake Cookie Squares and Biscotti!

Make Your Own Darn Good CookiesLet’s Bake Cookie Squares and Biscotti is free and I intend for it to remain free.  It is also available at Smashwords, B&N, iTunes, Kobo, and …. well … pretty much everywhere.  Free.  Look for it on your favourite e-book retailer’s site.  Also, please inform your local library that all of my e-book titles should be on Overdrive and are available to libraries for FREE — ask that they add these to their collection.  The recipes and writing in this book are directly out of Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies.  If you like these recipes please consider a copy for your kitchen collection.  And as always — your book review on Amazon and GoodReads helps to support the author, other readers, and is greatly appreciated.

Announcement, Baking, Cookies, e-Book, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, Product, Publication

FREE Recipe e-Book … SOON!

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There’s Olivia — everybody say HI!

I am EXCITED to say that I am in the final stages of making a free-sample recipe e-book*.  Yesterday I contacted OliviaProDesign, whom I’ve worked with once before, toward handling the cover-art.  An author friend recommended her a few years ago — her work POPS!
(*Here’s a secret — I’m actually working toward TWO free recipe e-books!)

I have proposed using two of my favourite photos — one a cookie square, the other some Toasted Almond Biscotti.  Olivia is so clever she suggested including my company logo, too — why didn’t I think of that, DUH!  Thanks for the pick-up on that, Olivia.  My aim is to do the final stages of publishing around the 15th of this month.

Watch here along with my Facebook and Twitter profiles for more announcements!

All the Best ~ Don

Announcement, Author, Baking, Book, Cooking, e-Book, Patriotic Piper Vol 01, Product, Publication, Self-publishing

The Patriotic Piper, Vol. 1 – PUBLISHED!

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Last Sunday my latest book — The Patriotic Piper, Vol. I — LAUNCHED!!!  This newly published book is definitely different than many others you’ve seen — of that I am certain…

Here’s the short list of what’s in the first The Patriotic Piper …

  • 20 traditional Scottish American military and patriotic bagpipe compositions, arranged into 8 performance numbers
  • 15 delicious Scottish and Irish recipes
  • Numerous history and trivia writings accompanying the tunes and recipes

(Click here for a Longer Description)

Patriotic Piper Vol01 Cover
A first arrival! (Front Cover)

The Patriotic Piper is a fundraiser for the Scottish American Military Society Post #1889.  Not only am I a member, I also serve as an officer leading our small but stout Pipe & Drum corps.  This is the official music collection of the Post.  The monies raised by this book will assist Post 1889 with their projects.  S.A.M.S. is a national organization and is a Congressionally Chartered Veterans Service Organization, which is dedicated to the preservation of the contributions of the Scots to the American Military and Society.

Patriotic Piper Vol01 Cover-Back
Back Cover

Since its publishing Amazon has rated both the book and e-book as being a “#1 New Release in Military Marches“.  These two versions of the book have held this position for several days during this past week.

Among the early people to comment, several said that they liked my concept of accompanying the music notation with the history of the tunes.  Some even said that this was a deciding factor in their book purchase.  Numerous people have said that they are excited about my inclusion of traditional Scottish and Irish recipes as the second half of the book.  Certainly, there’s something for everyone in The Patriotic Piper, Vol. 01.

The Patriotic Piper is Available Now on Amazon
Print Edition — Published 22Nov2020
E-Book — Published 05Nov2020

Interview, Podcast, WOWI

WOWI gets interviewed by Pen To Print

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PenToPrint.org

Soooo…. you know that Tom Trimbath and I have co-founded, co-produce, and co-host a writing themed podcast called Writing On Whidbey Island*, right?  Last weekend we recorded our 1-year-anniversary broadcast for the show.  What great timing …
(*aka WOWI)

GOOD MORNING, CLAIRE!

A few months ago I responded to a comment online from a delightful lady in England — Claire Buss.  She was looking for people who produce podcasts — I didn’t think that what Tom and I offer with WOWI was quite her thing, but it never hurts to try … right?

To my surprise Clair sent me a personal message soon after, asking that Tom and I each fill out a written interview for her site PenToPrint.org.  We took to our trusty keyboards and — not so long story made even shorter — have been featured this month!

Check out PenToPrint.org and our interview … NOW!

Announcement, Baking, Book, Cookies, Experiment, Public Appearance, Tip

Quarantine Baking

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HEY GANG!

My April 2020 Recipe Of The Month is uploaded to my website — grab my March recipe while you still can!

As it happens, with just standard baking ingredients most of us keep stocked at home — where many of us are at right now — the upcoming April recipe is well timed.  It’s simple, fun, and takes no special kitchen implements to make — coco powder, powdered sugar, and a hand mixer is about as fancy as this gets! Quarantine

WITH FOLKS BEING COUPED UP IN
QUARANTINE-VILLE…

fortune cookies
Imagine making your own custom fortunes…

I am considering posting a recipe for some big, soft Ginger Snaps I recently made. Dang if those things didn’t disappear within 24 hours…  This could give everyone another activity and something tasty to take the edge off. Watch this website, Twitter @WIBakingCo, and my Facebook page for announcement of this recipe-post. Quarantine

With some luck I will be trying a modified version of this recipe later today — as a Ginger Snap Biscotti. I’ve also been looking to experimenting with making (flavoured?) fortune cookies lately ….

But things have been busy here in
The Apocalypse…

arnold schwarzeneggerBaking has taken a bit of a back-seat lately. Everyone in the house here is dealing with some medial stuff — no, it’s not the virus or a toomah. I’m the most healthy and able person so I’m carrying a bit more of the work around here. Add to that… the pump on our well is threatening to go out any day, the well-guy has a Corona-reduced staff, so we’re working to establish temporary water supplies. ALL GOOD FUN when already juggling the adjustments that come with quarantine life (YAY!) — but we’re keeping our chins up and plowing forward. To that end…

WHILE YOU ARE DEALING WITH
WHATEVER IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW…

TP for your bunghole!I encourage you to do everything you can to take care of yourself, your family, your friends, and your neighbors.  Strive even to be extra-kind to everyone you meet when/if you are out & about — yes, even when you’re fighting over toilet paper. I know it’s tricky, but please do your best. This can be as simple as picking up the phone to call folks — just ask how they are. I’ve been doing this and it’s amazing the relief you can bring to someone when you present something so simple and so human. Quarantine

BagpiperDon playing smallpipes on a Washington State FerrySince Friday I have taken to playing mini-concerts with my Scottish Smallpipes on Facebook and YouTube. A number of authors have been reading their books and musicians playing music online, livestreaming to give a little comfort and respite. So far I’ve played three times since March 20th and I plan to keep going. Smallpipes are more somber than what you’re used to seeing in parades. I’ve been playing tunes from an album I have planned and the traditional sheet music book I’m close to publishing, including Scot/Irish recipes. I play and talk about my books. I hope you’ll join me, please look for BagpiperDon on Facebook and Twitter, for announcements of when I’m going to play. Quarantine

Keep your chins up, be good to your self and do good for others, and we’ll all get through this together!

Best, Don

Make Your Own Darn Good CookiesPS — For a limited time my debut recipe book “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” IS ON SALE on Amazon!  I have priced the paperback version of my book roughly 25% off WORLDWIDE.  You’re home, make something nice for yourself and your loved ones.

Also, ask for “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” by name at your favourite bookshop.