Influencer Tips: How to Continuously Support the Authors You LOVE!

You FINALLY received that long-awaited email...YOU MADE IT! You are going to be attending Hogwarts....wait...sorry...You are going to be a part of the influencer team for your favorite author! In the following weeks (and months) you are super excited to share about their upcoming book and read said book. And then...that most glorious moment that is...RELEASE DAY!!! Filled with social media blasts and confetti and prizes and chocolate...(There is ALWAYS chocolate at these things). The next morning dawns and you begin to binge said chocolate, wondering..."WHAT in the world am I to do with my life in the MONTHS before the next book is released???"

My friends...I have been there...I understand the agony of waiting months (sometimes YEARS) until one of my favorite authors releases another book (**ahem** Kate Breslin...yes...I STILL love you). 

So what CAN you do to support the authors you love in the "off-season"? (Which obviously isn't the off-season for the author...as they are madly typing away on edits for that book you are longing for.)

Today I want to share just FIVE tips how you can do that. 

1. Follow and interact with your authors on ALL Social Media! Sure you follow them on Facebook...but have you checked Instagram? Or Google+? Chances are, you can find all the links to their social sites on their website. Check out Roseanna M. White' site for an example. Don't forget to check out their Amazon and Goodreads pages and follow them there as well.

2. Follow (and READ) their blog. A lot of authors have blogs. Did you know that? Chances are you have subscribed to their newsletter already, but this is different. They have words they need to share. And TRUST me...They are POWERFUL words. The gift of writing that God has placed on these people isn't chained to just BOOKS. For some great blog posts and deep truths and encouragement, check out Kristy Cambron's blog.

3. Share, Share, Share...Social media algorithms have gotten so wonky that it can be hard for author's posts to actually be seen...even by those who LIKE and FOLLOW them. So share those posts! Share on your personal page and on your blog FB page. Make sure you are checking their sites so you aren't missing posts. You can adjust your settings in the Influencer Group and on their FB page so you get notified when they post. (see images below)

4. Goodreads! I am surprised at how many people still aren't using Goodreads. I ADORE this site. Helps me keep track of books I have read, books I like...and introduces me to new authors daily. You can vote for books on Lists, add books that aren't there...and create your own lists! Don't forget to SHARE these lists!

5. Spotlight your authors' books on your blog. Especially those that you haven't had a chance to read yet. Some of my favorite authors I only discovered in the last 4 years...And they had several books already published by that point (Jody Hedlund, Jen Turano....) and I just don't have the time to catch up on all of them yet. Although I DO own them all lol! Even if you don't own their books though...You can easily find the information you need on the author's website or on Goodreads. 

Bonus:

Send the author a note of encouragement. A hand written note, an email, a message on social media. You will never know the impact an encouraging word can make. And no matter how many books they write, they always need encouragement! 

Thank you to all inluencers, reviewers, readers....and book lovers...for all the support you give our authors!

Lady Jayne Disappears - Joanna Davidson Politano

My Rating

"Fiction is truth...in a pretty wrapping." (More info)

About the Book

When Aurelie Harcourt's father dies in debtor's prison, he leaves her just two things: his wealthy family, whom she has never met, and his famous pen name, Nathaniel Droll. Her new family greets her with apathy and even resentment. Only the quiet house guest, Silas Rotherham, welcomes her company.

When Aurelie decides to complete her father's unfinished serial novel, writing the family into the story as unflattering characters, she must keep her identity as Nathaniel Droll hidden while searching for the truth about her mother's disappearance--and perhaps even her father's death.

Author Joanna Davidson Politano's stunning debut set in Victorian England will delight readers with its highly original plot, lush setting, vibrant characters, and reluctant romance.

Why you should read this book in 10 words or less              Author with a secret identity. Unsolved disappearance. Victorian. Debtor's prison.

My Thoughts

"Author with a secret identity." (No, not Joanna*) I think I could just leave it at that and call it a day. But in all seriousness, a bookish person reading a book about a bookish person (several really), who is secretly an author....throw in a dashing hero, an unsolved disappearance, and characters who you love and love to hate and it's the epitome of every bookworm's fantasy.

*At least I don't THINK Joanna has a secret identity....hmmm....I wonder....

Lady Jayne Disappears explores a part of history that is not touched on much by modern day authors. Debtor's prison. Charles Dickens wrote extensively about the poor in his time, but his contemporaries failed to believe the truth of his words. Joanna brings to light again the horrors that people had to face on a daily basis. It is heartbreaking and eye opening to witness.

Set in Victorian England, this story will suck you in and hold you under its spell.  Even after the final words are read, the heart of the book will stay with you. God did not create you to conform to the people around you. He has called you to stand as the only YOU there is. So relish in that freedom and be yourself! 

While there is so much more about this book that i could say, I shall leave you with the wise words of Nathaniel Droll, "A good book will enable you to both lose yourself and find yourself."

Promo Graphic not owned by Bookworm Mama

I received a complimentary copy of Lady Jayne Disappears. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Read the First Line HERE!

Come back Monday for an exciting interview with Joanna & a special GIVEAWAY!!!

About the Author

Joanna Davidson Politano freelances for a small nonfiction publisher but spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. Her debut novel, Lady Jayne Disappears, released October 3 from Revell. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods and shares stories that move her at www.jdpstories.com.

Facebook // Pinterest // Twitter // Website

Many thanks to Canva for providing an AMAZING program for me to design all these beautiful graphics. Book covers, publisher/tour logos, and author pictures not owned by me. All other graphics created by Bookworm Mama with public domain photos on Canva unless stated otherwise. 

Author Spotlight + Giveaway - Kristy Cambron

KRISTY CAMBRON has a background in art and design, but she fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. She is the bestselling author of The Ringmaster’s Wife, named to Publishers Weekly Spring 2016 Religion & Spirituality TOP 10. Her novels have been named to Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books and RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards Best lists for 2014 & 2015, and received 2015 & 2017 INSPY Award nominations. The Lost Castle (HarperCollins, series debut in 2018) is her fifth novel. Her first Bible studies (DVD + study guides), The Verse Mapping series, will release in 2018.

Kristy holds a degree in Art History/Research Writing, and has 15 years experience in education and leadership development for a Fortune-100 Corporation. She loves storytelling from the stage and travels to teach about the intersection of story roads, faith-following Jesus, and her affection for Bible Verse-Mapping. Kristy laughs daily with her husband and three sons, and can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good read.

The last and most important thing? Jesus Christ is everything — let her tell you about Him sometime.

Click on the cover to learn more.

Hidden Masterpiece Series

Jazz Age Entertainers Books

Coming Soon!

Launching a brand-new series, Kristy Cambron explores the collision of past and present as she discovers the ruins of a French castle, long lost to history.

A thirteenth century castle, Château de Doux Rêves, has been forgotten for generations, left to ruin in a storybook forest nestled deep in France’s picturesque Loire Valley. It survived a sacking in the French Revolution, was brought back to life and fashioned into a storybook chateau in the Gilded Age, and was eventually felled and deserted after a disastrous fire in the 1930s.

As Ellie Carver sits by her grandmother’s bedside, she hears stories of a castle… of lost love and a hidden chapel that played host to a secret fight in the World War II French resistance. But her grandmother is quickly slipping into the locked-down world of Alzheimer’s, and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family’s history.

Sparked by the discovery of a long forgotten family heirloom, Ellie embarks on a journey to French wine country to uncover the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty— the castle so named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale— and unearth its secrets before they’re finally silenced by time.

Set in three different time periods—the French Revolution, World War II, and present day—The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged, and an enchanted castle that inspired the epic fairy tales time left behind.

THE LOST CASTLE— Book #1 in this new three-book series, will debut in February, 2018.

THE VERSE-MAPPING SERIES— DVD + study guide materials verse-mapping through the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts—will release in early 2018.

You can learn more about verse mapping HERE.

My familiarity with Kristy's writing is of an unusual sort. Kristy became one of my very favorite authors...BEFORE I even read a single word from one of her books. I follow Kristy's blog and read her posts on a regular basis. I don't know how many times by the end of the post I was bawling because her words hit such a deep level of my heart. Her convictions and her faith transfer to her books and it is beautiful. The first thing that stood out to me in Kristy's books was the unabashed faith that she has infused into her stories. I wish I could say that I have read all of her books, but I still haven't read her World War II books. However, Kristy's Jazz Age Entertainers books are superb. Kristy writes from the heart and, I believe, by the prompting of God's voice. To have such moving books that resonate in your heart for weeks and months after reading them. THANK YOU Kristy for everything that you contribute to Christian Fiction. Thank you for standing for what you believe and speaking the truth on so many levels.

The Illusionist's Apprentice

Agent Elliot Matthews stared down a firing squad. The potential executioners held firm in their stance with camera lenses and pencils cocked, all ready to fire. And fire they would, splashing sensational bulletins across the next day’s newspaper headlines. A slew of brash young journalists assembled in the famed Mount Auburn Cemetery, focused on the job at hand. They stood in formation at the front of the crowd, photographers tinkering with cameras and reporters tapping pencils against notepads, all with the itchiness of glorious anticipation. Elliot hated feeling hemmed in, with the press and scores of onlookers closing ranks. He wanted a full view in the event something erupted without warning, so he and his partner melted along the side of the gathering, opting for a perch along the old stone fence bordering Bigelow Chapel. They were still surrounded by the overhang of trees, but at least they would have a clear view of the front row. The faces in the crowd weren’t morose like one would expect to find in a cemetery on such a frigid day. They smiled and chatted, their curiosity piqued as they waited for the show to begin. Police stood by too, poised to arrest anyone who dared to cause a stir. And that’s all Elliot could think it was. A stir. A media frenzy in what should have been a place for mourners and grave diggers. Instead, a crowd of onlookers—spiritualists and press—had shown up at the public invitation printed in the Boston Globe the previous Monday: Famed Medium Horace Stapleton to Defy Death in Public Ceremony on New Year’s Eve. What a terrible waste. Elliot had seen a crowd of mourners fill a cemetery before—one too many times—and didn’t want to be haunted by the host of memories the current setting dared trigger. Not wishing to think back on things he couldn’t change, Elliot turned away and settled his attention on the landscape. If his objective was to forget, staring down lifeless trees seemed safer than watching a bunch of nail-biters in trench coats and fedoras. The canopy of trees formed a bower on all sides. Mist invaded, curling around the trunks of aged sycamores and maples. An icy drizzle coated the leafless limbs, making the scene look like a fragile glass world. “See that?”Elliot elbowed his partner. Agent Connor Finnegan responded with a full-body turn and a squint in Elliot’s direction. “Noticing something, Boss?”He coughed into his palm, a puff of breath on air. “Besides the zoo in front of us?”“The trees.”Elliot motioned to the line of sycamores and the only spot broken in the row of trees shadowing the chapel’s stone border. “Odd. In a well-known and meticulously manicured cemetery like this, the groundskeepers leave a spot untended in full view of the chapel. It’s just there. Barren. Lifeless. Like a tree fell and they neglected to replace it.” (Used with permission)

I have collaborated with all of these authors and I am so excited for this giveaway! I am giving away a box of FIVE books...All signed (one signed bookplate sticker) by the authors! I will also be including some bookish/reading items in the box of books, bookmarks, tea, chocolate, etc. Each "Blogiversary" post will have MORE options to enter to win, so make sure you check back. Today we are kicking it off pretty easy! Please enter via the Rafflecopter form below. If you are having difficulties please email me and we will get your name entered.

Kristy Cambron has contributed a SIGNED copy of The Illusionist's Apprentice for the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**ONE (1) Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter at the end of the giveaway**

Books provided for giveaway by the individual authors and myself. Books included: Just the Way You Are, The Lady and the Lionheart, The Illusionist's Apprentice, Newton & Polly, Behind the Scenes. I am not compensated for any portion of this giveaway. Some of the books were donated for the giveaway. Giveaway will run 8/1/17 - 9/1/17 at 12:00am PDT. Open internationally. Void where prohibited. Please see Policies and Disclosures for more information. *Bookish swag items subject to change*

Author Spotlight + Giveaway - Joanne Bischof

A Carol Award and two-time Christy Award-finalist, Joanne Bischof writes deeply layered fiction that tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. She was honored to receive the SDCWG Novel of the Year Award in 2014 and in 2015 was named Author of the Year by the Mount Hermon Writer’s conference. Her 2014 novella This Quiet Sky broke precedent as the first self-released title to final for the Christy Awards. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her husband and their three children.

Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter // Website

You can read more about Joanne's books on her website HERE.

Historical Fiction

The Cadence of Grace Series

Stand Alone Novels

Novella Collections

Contemporary Young Adult Fiction

I confess that to date, I have only read ONE of Joanne's books. I know, I know...BUT...It was The Lady and the Lionheart (you can read my review HERE). And unfortunately, it took me way too long to get around to reading it. If you have not read it yet...You can get the Kindle edition for $1.99 on Amazon (Please make sure to double check the price before purchasing)! 

The Lady and the Lionheart is a very unique story in itself. But when you add the level of passion, romance, and redemption that Joanne did, it takes the story to  whole new category. This book moved me to tears on more than one occasion and made me want to crawl inside the book and just live there. The dynamics of the several different relationships is so incredible to behold. Family and love in its truest sense is revealed in ways that will baffle you. I can't even think about this book without being moved to tears. I can FEEL the emotions and the depth even now...7 months after reading it. Joanne's gift for story is clearly evident and I am so excited to see what else she has in store.

The Lady and the Lionheart

A tree of a man nearly crashed into her. Every stormy, trench-coated pound of him. A yelp lodged in her throat, then Ella swung to a halt at the sight of a baby in his arms. Sheer surprise had her dropping the bound linens, and he gripped the handrail, steadying himself. His wild brown hair stood on end as if tugged by a thousand worries. “I need a doctor,” he panted, using a ledge to climb around her mess with a balance that defied logic—and when he silently landed much too close on the other side, decorum. Her senses were struck with the scent of coal smoke and… Caramel? Ella made to step back, but there was nowhere to go. It mattered not when she looked once again to who he held. Bundled in a snow-dusted blanket, the baby glistened with sweat and perhaps tears. She reached for the babe, but he tightened his grip. “A doctor!” Pale green eyes glittered fiercely. Stunned to silence, Ella had to work to find her voice. “Uh…follow me.” She shoved the linens aside then hurried up the last few stairs, him beside her. A few more steps and she pushed past the door that led them into the children’s ward. “In here,” she called over her shoulder, then searched for the doctor. “Dr. Penske. I’ve a baby here who seems to be running a fever.” Turning from the boy he was tending, Dr. Penske glanced from the man’s patched coat to the unlaced boots which thundered to a halt beside Ella’s. The stranger’s chest heaved as he swallowed a breath. “Seems to be?” Dr. Penske’s tone was as dismissive as his gaze. “I—I haven’t examined the child,” she said. The doctor glanced around the children’s ward where two other nurses bustled with tasks. Using the back of his hand, he swiped a lock of hair from his forehead. “Well, why don’t you get to it?” Me? She was only given the most mundane tasks from emptying chamber pots to changing linens. Hopefully the stranger didn’t sense that. “Please lay her here.” Ella moved to an open crib bed and lowered one side down. “I’ll check her temperature.” The man eyed her warily but did as she asked. Ella’s fingers were suddenly unsteady as she adjusted the pillow beneath the tiny, blonde head. She’d never been assigned a patient before. Not once on her own. But she’d read the nursing encyclopedia forward and back and watched the nurses day in and day out. Besides, she was the oldest of five brothers and sisters. Ella forced herself to remain calm. When it came to fevers, she knew what to do. A check of the girl’s pulse said it was just over one hundred and twenty beats per minute. Ella unbundled her down to a wrinkled dress and sweater, then cast the blanket to the foot of the bed. “The child’s name?” After lowering the other side of the crib, the man knelt there. “Holland.” (used with permission)

I have collaborated with all of these authors and I am so excited for this giveaway! I am giving away a box of FIVE books...All signed (one signed bookplate sticker) by the authors! I will also be including some bookish/reading items in the box of books, bookmarks, tea, chocolate, etc. Each "Blogiversary" post will have MORE options to enter to win, so make sure you check back. Today we are kicking it off pretty easy! Please enter via the Rafflecopter form below. If you are having difficulties please email me and we will get your name entered.

Joanne's Book Included in the Giveaway is a SIGNED copy  of The Lady and the Lionheart.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**ONE (1) Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter at the end of the giveaway**

Books provided for giveaway by the individual authors and myself. Books included: Just the Way You Are, The Lady and the Lionheart, The Illusionist's Apprentice, Newton & Polly, Behind the Scenes. I am not compensated for any portion of this giveaway. Some of the books were donated for the giveaway. Giveaway will run 8/1/17 - 9/1/17 at 12:00am PDT. Open internationally. Void where prohibited. Please see Policies and Disclosures for more information. *Bookish swag items subject to change*