Last month, I posted an appreciation of one of my favorite writers–and people–Beth Kephart. It was honest and heartfelt…and part of an underground blogger campaign to call attention to her upcoming young-adult novel, You Are My Only, which will be in stores next week (and is available for pre-order now).
Bloggers and Beth are an excellent combination, because in addition to being a prolific and well-reviewed author, she’s one of us. I knew Beth first as a blogger, and I think my appreciation of her as an author has only enhanced my appreciation of her as a blogger. Beth’s blog was a finalist for “Best Published Author Blog” in the 2011 BBAW Awards, and with good reason. She talks about her books, yes, but also about other people’s books; she reads avidly and regularly blogs her reflections on what she’s read. This past May, I was lucky enough to meet her at Book Expo America, where she signed galleys of You Are My Only, and it was truly one of the highlights of my week at BEA; she was gracious and generous and genuinely interested in everyone who stopped by her signing table.
Beth’s friends were thrilled to see this message from her on Facebook a couple of days ago:
“I have you to thank for this: You Are My Only has gone back on press for a second printing, eleven days before it is due out in stores. You want to know if bloggers have an impact? You want to know if your work is valued? Don’t ask anymore.”
The underground blogger campaign apparently made an impression on Beth’s publisher, Egmont USA; expanding a book’s print run so close to pub date is a pretty rare occurrence, and feeling like you may have helped influence that decision is pretty special.
Beth also worked with several book bloggers on an “above-ground” campaign to pique interest in her latest book, the You Are My Only Treasure Hunt. Beth contributed guest posts about different aspects of the book to five different blogs; the treasure-hunter’s task was to find them all, post the links, and then leave a link to that post in comments on Beth Kephart Books. All participants will be entered into a drawing, and two winners will be chosen. Each will win these two things: A signed copy of You Are My Only and Beth’s critique of the first 2,000 words of a work-in-progress.
This post is my official treasure-hunt entry. Beth’s guest posts can be found on these blogs:
Go read them all, and find out more about You Are My Only–and you can enter the treasure hunt, too! The entry deadline is October 24, the day before the book hits stores. I’ve been eagerly anticipating reading this for months, and am very excited that even more people will now have the chance to read it too! In the meantime, you can watch the book trailer:
Sadly, this won’t be out in time for next weekend’s 24-Hour-Readathon, but if you’re participating, you’ve probably got plenty of books already stacked up and waiting! I have to skip it this time, but we’re getting a new bookcase delivered on Saturday (it’s our wedding-anniversary gift to each other), and that’s not bad compensation.
