My First Contest! Win the Audiobook on Spotify & Score a Free eBook ๐
February 24, 2026
๐ง Win CHAINED BIRDS on Spotify โ Plus Get a Free eBook Just for Sharing! I’ve always wanted to do this. ๐ As an indie author who loves connecting with readers, I’ve dreamed of running contests and giveaways โ not just as a one-time thing, but as an ongoing way to celebrate my books and build excitement ...Sync CHAINED BIRDS Audiobook and Print with Spotify’s New PageMatch Feature
February 15, 2026
To add to this month’s publishing news for indie authors … Just when I thought February couldn’t get any better for Chained Birds โ after celebrating the book’s availability in ALL formats on Bookshop.org โ Spotify dropped a game-changing feature called PageMatch that’s giving Amazon’s whispersync a run for its money ๐ Introducing PageMatch: Your Reading-Listening Superpower ...CHAINED BIRDS: Now in ALL Formats on Bookshop.org!
February 14, 2026
And Every Purchase Supports Local Bookstores! ๐ โค๏ธ Happy Valentine’s Day, Book Lovers! In celebration of indie authors and local bookstores, I have a shout-out for Bookstore.org, which announced some big publishing news last week about bringing eBooks to their platform. And I noticed that my award-winning debut, Chained Birds: A Crimemoir, was an immediate beneficiary. Bookshop.org ...Kickstarter Day 3: The Jacklighter Hits #6 in NonfictionโWatch the Trailer!
February 12, 2026
It’s Day 3 of THE JACKLIGHTER’s pre-launch phase on Kickstarter, and I’m thrilled to report that things are already off to a promising start. ๐ As of this writing, The Jacklighter is trending #6 out of 206 projects in Kickstarter’s “most popular upcoming nonfiction” publishing categoryโand I have my fabulous first 11 followers to thank for ...THE JACKLIGHTER is Now on Kickstarter!
February 10, 2026
The Wait Is OverโTHE JACKLIGHTER Is Now LIVE on Kickstarter! Itโs happening. ๐ After months of R&D, THE JACKLIGHTER: Murder, Betrayal, and Justice in Pennsylvaniaโs Endless Mountains is finally live on Kickstarter, the crowdfunding platform for creatives. This is a FOLLOW Phase … Backing with Pledges & Rewards Comes Next Month! This project, my second true crime book, is ...Beyond the Books: The Crimemoir Confidential Archives are Open!
December 27, 2025
The 2025 Newsletter Archives are Now Open If youโve been following my journey here on the blog, you know that the “story behind the story” is often just as gripping as what’s on the page. Between my awards, the #1 bestseller badges, andย regaining my publishing rights forย Chained Birds, 2025 has been a whirlwind. But thereโs a whole ...Chapter 5 “The Big House” โ historic Lewisburg Prison a.k.a. “Mafia Row”
December 26, 2025
(This article has been updated with new details and images from its original September 2024 publication.) My true crime memoir, Chained Birds, chronicles the ten-year journey of federal inmate Kevin Sanders as he fought to survive the blood-soaked Special Management Unit at Lewisburg Prison. While the book serves as an exposรฉ of that now-shuttered experimental program, ...From Eight Awards to “Authorโs Cut”: My 2025 Year in Review
December 21, 2025
Award-winning author Carla Conti recaps 2025 milestones, from eight true crime book awards to THE JACKLIGHTER Kickstarter teaser.
Carla Conti is a journalist and the award-winning author of Chained Birds: A Crimemoir. Her next true crime book, The Jacklighter, is set for release in 2026. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, who supports her true crime habit.
