Murder & Matchmaking
By Marie Hodgkinson
PledgeMe.Project
Writing,
NZ $1,231 pledged
39 people pledged
Closed
NZ $1,000 minimum target
This campaign was successful and closed on 20/03/2015 at 7:32 PM.
Make a PledgeAbout
Murder & Matchmaking
Project 2014-07-17 16:34:45 +1200
It is a truth universally known that a mother in possession of a surfeit of daughters must be in want of eligible bachelors. Less well documented are the extremes to which she might go if her daughters’ prospects are endangered by other neighbourhood beauties …
Award-winning author Debbie Cowens puts a new spin on some old favourites in her latest literary mashup. Murder and Matchmaking is a dark comedy that answers the question: if Mrs Bennett is so worried about what will happen to her if her daughters don't marry ... why doesn't she really do something about it?
Read the first three chapters of Murder & Matchmaking for free (PDF).
The big idea
Paper Road Press is a micropress based in Wellington, New Zealand. We've published two books in our two-year lifespan: Baby Teeth: Bite-sized Tales of Terror, winner of the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Collected Work and the Australian Shadows Award for Best Edited Work; and Engines of Empathy, a comedic thriller in the vein of Douglas Adams and Jasper Fforde. We're looking forward to launching Murder & Matchmaking in April this year - but we need some some cold, hard cash to give it a proper boost.
Murder & Matchmaking has already been edited and the cover reveal is scheduled for March. $1,000 will help cover print costs for an initial print run to make the book available in NZ bookstores; otherwise the release will be limited to ebooks and Amazon print on demand.
About the author
Debbie Cowens is a Kapiti-based writer and English teacher. She co-authored the award-winning Mansfield with Monsters with her husband and her stories have been published in both New Zealand and international publications and anthologies.
Murder & Matchmaking is her first novel and it weaves together many of her favourite things: Jane Austen heroines, a Sherlock Holmes-inspired detective, mischievous canines and intrigues. She is a little surprised that more chocolate didn’t sneak its way into the narrative.
Comments
Updates 2
Cover art reveal & new rewards
27/02/2015 at 7:03 AM
We're implored not to judge a book by its cover - but what if the book has no cover? Happily, that is a question for some other time, as we can now reveal the cover art for Debbie Cowens' Murder & Matchmaking.
Cover artist Henry Christian-Slane also created the artwork for Engines of Empathy; you can see his portfolio, including some eerie short comics, at http://henrychristianslane.com/
To celebrate the cover reveal for Murder & Matchmaking, we're adding two new reward options to the campaign.
$5: Digital wallpaper
Pledge just $5 towards the campaign and receive a digital wallpaper suitable for use on your desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone, similar to the image above.
$20: Personalised postcard
You'll receive a postcard with the cover artwork on the front and a personal message from Debbie Cowens on the back, along with an ebook copy of Murder & Matchmaking.
$40: The perfect gift for a Jane Austen or Sherlock Holmes fan
Perhaps you have a friend whose birthday falls in April; perhaps you've only just realised Christmas was four months ago. Either way, this gift-wrapped copy of the print book and postcard sent directly to some lucky reader (and an ebook copy emailed directly to you) is just the thing.
-
We're now over 60% of the way to reaching our fundraising goal for Murder & Matchmaking. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far.
A sneak peek at the first few chapters ...
18/02/2015 at 9:12 PM
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” - Miss Bingley
Is there someone you're trying to impress? Why not download this free PDF sample of the first three chapters of Murder & Matchmaking? It's sure to help somehow*!
*Results not guaranteed.
Free sample of Murder & Matchmaking Chapters 1-3
Pledgers 39
19/02/2015 at 7:45am
18/02/2015 at 11:19pm
18/02/2015 at 10:02pm
"Can't wait to read Debbie's latest masterpiece "
18/02/2015 at 5:53pm
17/02/2015 at 9:17pm
"Looking forward to this very much, Debbie. :-)"
17/02/2015 at 8:47pm
17/02/2015 at 8:05pm
17/02/2015 at 4:26pm
17/02/2015 at 4:20pm
Murder & Matchmaking
Project 2014-07-17 16:34:45 +1200
It is a truth universally known that a mother in possession of a surfeit of daughters must be in want of eligible bachelors. Less well documented are the extremes to which she might go if her daughters’ prospects are endangered by other neighbourhood beauties …
Award-winning author Debbie Cowens puts a new spin on some old favourites in her latest literary mashup. Murder and Matchmaking is a dark comedy that answers the question: if Mrs Bennett is so worried about what will happen to her if her daughters don't marry ... why doesn't she really do something about it?
Read the first three chapters of Murder & Matchmaking for free (PDF).
The big idea
Paper Road Press is a micropress based in Wellington, New Zealand. We've published two books in our two-year lifespan: Baby Teeth: Bite-sized Tales of Terror, winner of the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Collected Work and the Australian Shadows Award for Best Edited Work; and Engines of Empathy, a comedic thriller in the vein of Douglas Adams and Jasper Fforde. We're looking forward to launching Murder & Matchmaking in April this year - but we need some some cold, hard cash to give it a proper boost.
Murder & Matchmaking has already been edited and the cover reveal is scheduled for March. $1,000 will help cover print costs for an initial print run to make the book available in NZ bookstores; otherwise the release will be limited to ebooks and Amazon print on demand.
About the author
Debbie Cowens is a Kapiti-based writer and English teacher. She co-authored the award-winning Mansfield with Monsters with her husband and her stories have been published in both New Zealand and international publications and anthologies.
Murder & Matchmaking is her first novel and it weaves together many of her favourite things: Jane Austen heroines, a Sherlock Holmes-inspired detective, mischievous canines and intrigues. She is a little surprised that more chocolate didn’t sneak its way into the narrative.
Comments
Cover art reveal & new rewards
27/02/2015 at 7:03 AM
We're implored not to judge a book by its cover - but what if the book has no cover? Happily, that is a question for some other time, as we can now reveal the cover art for Debbie Cowens' Murder & Matchmaking.
Cover artist Henry Christian-Slane also created the artwork for Engines of Empathy; you can see his portfolio, including some eerie short comics, at http://henrychristianslane.com/
To celebrate the cover reveal for Murder & Matchmaking, we're adding two new reward options to the campaign.
$5: Digital wallpaper
Pledge just $5 towards the campaign and receive a digital wallpaper suitable for use on your desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone, similar to the image above.
$20: Personalised postcard
You'll receive a postcard with the cover artwork on the front and a personal message from Debbie Cowens on the back, along with an ebook copy of Murder & Matchmaking.
$40: The perfect gift for a Jane Austen or Sherlock Holmes fan
Perhaps you have a friend whose birthday falls in April; perhaps you've only just realised Christmas was four months ago. Either way, this gift-wrapped copy of the print book and postcard sent directly to some lucky reader (and an ebook copy emailed directly to you) is just the thing.
-
We're now over 60% of the way to reaching our fundraising goal for Murder & Matchmaking. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far.
A sneak peek at the first few chapters ...
18/02/2015 at 9:12 PM
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” - Miss Bingley
Is there someone you're trying to impress? Why not download this free PDF sample of the first three chapters of Murder & Matchmaking? It's sure to help somehow*!
*Results not guaranteed.
Free sample of Murder & Matchmaking Chapters 1-3
19/02/2015 at 7:45am
18/02/2015 at 11:19pm
18/02/2015 at 10:02pm
"Can't wait to read Debbie's latest masterpiece "
18/02/2015 at 5:53pm
17/02/2015 at 9:17pm
"Looking forward to this very much, Debbie. :-)"