Read the post, watch the video, and a comment. Each comment gives you a chance at one of 3 prizes. Also, we're donating $10 for every 50 comments. Drop by and tell us "How has autism touched your life?"
Monday, April 2, 2018
It's World Autism Awareness Day!
Read the post, watch the video, and a comment. Each comment gives you a chance at one of 3 prizes. Also, we're donating $10 for every 50 comments. Drop by and tell us "How has autism touched your life?"
Friday, March 30, 2018
April is Autism Awareness Month
April 2 (Monday) is World Autism Awareness day, and April is Autism Awareness Month.
I'm an autism mom, the mother of an amazing daughter with Aspergers. Along with Sabrina Jeffries, a fellow author and autism mom, I will be hosting a conversation about autism on my Facebook page on World Autism Day. Join us Monday! Read the post, watch the short video clip, and leave a comment about how autism has touched your life.
I will also be participating in the spring 2018 YA Scavenger Hunt from April 3 - 8. I'm one of 20 authors on Team Purple. Check back here on April 3 for rules, exclusive bonus content from some of your favorite authors, and the chance to win books!
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Small world--and Let Us Know
My favorite restaurant is named for a famous Beatles landmark. I go there at least once a week to eat and write. The waitstaff put my order in when I walk through the door.
Recently, a new waitress was being trained. We were being friendly, chatting about various things, when the senior waitress said--"Elizabeth is an author." The new waitress smiled and nodded and went away to check on my order.
When she returned, we had this conversation.
HER: are you Julia Day?
ME: yes, that's one of my pen names.
HER: you're my niece's favorite author.
ME: Wow, that's great.
HER: I took her to B&N and told her to pick out any book she wanted. So she got yours because she loved the cover. She took it home and read it and now she loves your books.
ME: Do you know which book? One came out just a few days ago.
HER: she's read both. She had her mother order the next one immediately.
I'm sharing this story for two reasons.
One, because that's just frickin' cool. Talk about a small world! I'm not that well-known. My author career has had only modest success (extremely modest.) Knowing that someone reads and loves your books is fuel to write more.
Two, it reminds me to encourage readers to speak up. Whenever you meet your favorite authors, tell us you enjoy our books. Send us an email; we all have contact forms on our websites. Leave us reviews (like Amazon), especially for the modestly successful authors. Let us know that you're enjoying what we write!
Recently, a new waitress was being trained. We were being friendly, chatting about various things, when the senior waitress said--"Elizabeth is an author." The new waitress smiled and nodded and went away to check on my order.
When she returned, we had this conversation.
HER: are you Julia Day?
ME: yes, that's one of my pen names.
HER: you're my niece's favorite author.
ME: Wow, that's great.
HER: I took her to B&N and told her to pick out any book she wanted. So she got yours because she loved the cover. She took it home and read it and now she loves your books.
ME: Do you know which book? One came out just a few days ago.
HER: she's read both. She had her mother order the next one immediately.
I'm sharing this story for two reasons.
One, because that's just frickin' cool. Talk about a small world! I'm not that well-known. My author career has had only modest success (extremely modest.) Knowing that someone reads and loves your books is fuel to write more.
Two, it reminds me to encourage readers to speak up. Whenever you meet your favorite authors, tell us you enjoy our books. Send us an email; we all have contact forms on our websites. Leave us reviews (like Amazon), especially for the modestly successful authors. Let us know that you're enjoying what we write!
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Author events in February
I've participated in more author events in February than any other month since my first book was published 4 years ago.
It's been so much fun! Of all the things I love about being an author, writing the stories is the best, and talking with readers is a close second.
I attended a book festival (which included a short talk in the nearby community library.) I also presented twice at regional libraries in our county system.
And I discovered an interesting paradox.
The talk at the community library had a lot of attendees--which is lovely to see. People came! They laughed at the appropriate times and asked questions. It was great.
I didn't have so many at the regional libraries--three attendees each. But they engaged with me. They didn't merely ask questions; they held a conversation. They told me about what they like to read. Sometimes, they told me about what they like to write.
So now I know that...
- Big crowds are good for my commitment to press on. They encourage me to keep writing. To keep publishing.
- Small crowds are good for my writer's soul. They remind me why we all do it--for the love of stories.
It's been so much fun! Of all the things I love about being an author, writing the stories is the best, and talking with readers is a close second.
I attended a book festival (which included a short talk in the nearby community library.) I also presented twice at regional libraries in our county system.
And I discovered an interesting paradox.
The talk at the community library had a lot of attendees--which is lovely to see. People came! They laughed at the appropriate times and asked questions. It was great.
I didn't have so many at the regional libraries--three attendees each. But they engaged with me. They didn't merely ask questions; they held a conversation. They told me about what they like to read. Sometimes, they told me about what they like to write.
So now I know that...
- Big crowds are good for my commitment to press on. They encourage me to keep writing. To keep publishing.
- Small crowds are good for my writer's soul. They remind me why we all do it--for the love of stories.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Happy birthday to FADE TO US!
Fade to Us is out there!
From the reviews:
From the reviews:
“Warm and sensitive, Day’s deft depiction of difficult sibling and blended family relationships will make you laugh, cry, and sigh. A wonderful book!" --New York Timesbestselling author Sabrina Jeffries
"Day (The Possibility of Somewhere) weaves a quiet tale of love, friendship, sisterhood, and family; she takes time to carefully develop her characters, allowing readers to fully understand their perspectives…. an emotional and touching conclusion." --Publishers Weekly
"Day (The Possibility of Somewhere) weaves a quiet tale of love, friendship, sisterhood, and family; she takes time to carefully develop her characters, allowing readers to fully understand their perspectives…. an emotional and touching conclusion." --Publishers Weekly
"In her carefully intentional treatment of Natalie’s neurodiversity, Day depicts Natalie as capable and intelligent via both Brooke’s observant first-person narration and her own dialogue. The book does not shy away from the cruelty and misunderstanding that many on the autism spectrum face. Both Natalie and Brooke are strong, well-developed female characters. A book for readers who like romance that flourishes against the odds and characters who learn and grow." --Kirkus
"A fast-paced and engaging story of family drama and first love." --School Library Journal
"A fast-paced and engaging story of family drama and first love." --School Library Journal
Julia Day's Fade to Us is a story about found families, the bond of sisterhood, and the agony and awe of first love.
Brooke's summer is going to be EPIC― having fun with her friends and a job that lets her buy a car. Then her new stepfather announces his daughter is moving in. Brooke has always longed for a sibling, so she’s excited about spending more time with her stepsister. But she worries, too. Natalie has Asperger’s--and Brooke's not sure how to be the big sister that Natalie needs.
After Natalie joins a musical theater program, Brooke sacrifices her job to volunteer for the backstage crew. She’s mostly there for Natalie, but Brooke soon discovers how much she enjoys being part of the show. Especially sweet is the chance to work closely with charming and fascinating Micah--the production’s stage manager. If only he wasn't Natalie's mentor...
When her summer comes to an end, will Brooke finally have the family she so desperately wants--and the love she's only dreamed about?
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Giveaway to celebrate release of FADE TO US
We're counting down 2 weeks until FADE TO US releases on Feb 6!
To celebrate, I'm giving away prizes.
Here's more about Fade to Us, a story about found families, the bond of sisterhood, and the agony and awe of first love.
Brooke’s summer is going to be EPIC— having fun with her friends and a job that lets her buy a car. Then her new stepfather announces his daughter is moving in. Brooke has always longed for a sibling, so she’s excited about spending more time with her stepsister. But she worries, too. Natalie has Asperger’s–and Brooke’s not sure how to be the big sister that Natalie needs.
After Natalie joins a musical theater program, Brooke sacrifices her job to volunteer for the backstage crew. She’s mostly there for Natalie, but Brooke soon discovers how much she enjoys being part of the show. Especially sweet is the chance to work closely with charming and fascinating Micah–the production’s stage manager. If only he wasn’t Natalie’s mentor…
When summer comes to an end, will Brooke finally have the family she so desperately wants–and the love she’s only dreamed about?
Buy links:
Amazon B&N iBooks GooglePlay Kobo
a Rafflecopter giveaway
To celebrate, I'm giving away prizes.
- 1 grand prize (US only) of a print copy of FADE TO US, a print copy of SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME by Katie McGarry, a key ring with charms of important themes in FADE TO US (autism, sisterhood, theater), $25 gift card to Amazon or B&N, and a swag package.
- 2 second-prizes of a print copy of FADE TO US, a print copy of SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME by Katie McGarry, and a swag package
- 2 third-prizes of swag packages
Here's more about Fade to Us, a story about found families, the bond of sisterhood, and the agony and awe of first love.
Brooke’s summer is going to be EPIC— having fun with her friends and a job that lets her buy a car. Then her new stepfather announces his daughter is moving in. Brooke has always longed for a sibling, so she’s excited about spending more time with her stepsister. But she worries, too. Natalie has Asperger’s–and Brooke’s not sure how to be the big sister that Natalie needs.
After Natalie joins a musical theater program, Brooke sacrifices her job to volunteer for the backstage crew. She’s mostly there for Natalie, but Brooke soon discovers how much she enjoys being part of the show. Especially sweet is the chance to work closely with charming and fascinating Micah–the production’s stage manager. If only he wasn’t Natalie’s mentor…
When summer comes to an end, will Brooke finally have the family she so desperately wants–and the love she’s only dreamed about?
Buy links:
Amazon B&N iBooks GooglePlay Kobo
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sunday, January 14, 2018
5 gifts for readers to give to authors
Authors love it when readers buy our books. It's expensive to be an author, probably more than you would think. We're business people. Manufacturers of stories. We want our customers to enjoy our products--books--and we know that, for readers who have a serious "book addiction", it can be expensive for you, too.
So I'm going to suggest 5 things you can do that have no cost but your time. And they're easy. All they take are a few words or the click of a mouse.
Tell a friend. If you enjoyed a book, tell a friend who might enjoy it, too. Let them know why. You could say things like...
Tell a teacher or a book club. Do you know any people in book clubs? Any middle or high school English teachers? They are looking for good books to read or for their students to read. Suggest the books you love, especially if the books have lower "discoverability." Hundreds of thousands of titles release each year. Books from authors with a big fan base will be noticed. Books with big marketing pushes behind them will be noticed. But many great books will get lost in the noise. So if you enjoyed a small book, a quiet book, a book that deserves to be noticed more than it has been, recommend it to people who are actively seeking new and amazing stories.
LIKE a positive review. This one is so easy. Go on a site with reviews, such as Amazon or Goodreads. Find a positive review that seems to reflect a story well, and click LIKE. Simple, no cost, and helpful. That positive review is more likely to be seen now. That's because the number of LIKEs influence where the review appears by default. Reviews with lots of LIKEs "float to the top." You could really be helping an author by helping that good review to leave a first impression on potential readers.
Request it from the library. Libraries have limited budgets, so they have to make careful choices on how to spend them. They have to predict what their patrons want to read. If you request a book, you are telling them what you want to read--and they don't have to guess any longer!
Be social. Let us know you're there. Send us a fan letter through email; we all have contact forms on our websites. LIKE us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Find us on Bookbub or Instagram. Subscribe to our newsletters. With all of the way there are to control what you see on social media, you won't get overwhelmed with content. (Well, there is a gotcha with Facebook. FB generally only sends an author's postings to 10% of her followers, so you might not see them often.)
There you are. 5 ways to give back to your favorite authors--and they don't cause anything but time.
So I'm going to suggest 5 things you can do that have no cost but your time. And they're easy. All they take are a few words or the click of a mouse.
Tell a friend. If you enjoyed a book, tell a friend who might enjoy it, too. Let them know why. You could say things like...
- I know you love American history, and this time-travel story is so well-researched.
- I have another Pride & Prejudice retelling to recommend.
- I think you'd really like this new mystery author, with all his twisty plot points and none of the gore.
Tell a teacher or a book club. Do you know any people in book clubs? Any middle or high school English teachers? They are looking for good books to read or for their students to read. Suggest the books you love, especially if the books have lower "discoverability." Hundreds of thousands of titles release each year. Books from authors with a big fan base will be noticed. Books with big marketing pushes behind them will be noticed. But many great books will get lost in the noise. So if you enjoyed a small book, a quiet book, a book that deserves to be noticed more than it has been, recommend it to people who are actively seeking new and amazing stories.
Request it from the library. Libraries have limited budgets, so they have to make careful choices on how to spend them. They have to predict what their patrons want to read. If you request a book, you are telling them what you want to read--and they don't have to guess any longer!
Be social. Let us know you're there. Send us a fan letter through email; we all have contact forms on our websites. LIKE us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Find us on Bookbub or Instagram. Subscribe to our newsletters. With all of the way there are to control what you see on social media, you won't get overwhelmed with content. (Well, there is a gotcha with Facebook. FB generally only sends an author's postings to 10% of her followers, so you might not see them often.)
There you are. 5 ways to give back to your favorite authors--and they don't cause anything but time.
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