Wow, friends! I’ve been blown away by all of you supporting my journey to becoming a children’s picture book author. Thank you!
I’m so excited that “Waverly Braves the Breeze: The Story of a Galapagos Albatross” will launch on April 23rd! Already, so many of you have placed pre-orders and have spread the word to your networks. Thank you!
Through the end of February, I’d like to collect recordings of kids and adults reading portions of the book for future marketing efforts on social media.
As a reminder, when you submit any of the recording options below, you will automatically be entered to win a FREE copy of the book. Keep reading to learn more about our Leap Day Giveaway. :)
Here’s a special message just for you with one of the photos I took on my trip to the Galapagos Islands in 2009: You’re turtley awesome!
In case you missed it, you can spread the love by sharing more nature images and heartfelt messages that I posted on Darwin Day (Feb. 12th) and Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14th) on Facebook and Instagram. Follow along @author.samanthacora.
Leap Day Giveaway!
Earlier this month I received a very special package in the mail from my publisher: a few advance copies of “Waverly Braves the Breeze.” It was really neat to page through this book with my family at bedtime (though, to be honest, Z hasn’t sat still long enough to read it with me). As you can tell by the tiny hands in this photo, I had some help. And I need your help, too!
In recognition of World Read Aloud Day (Feb. 7th), I set aside a book for one of you (age is not a factor — books are for everyone and I believe we are all young at heart). You’ll have access to 50 more entries to this giveaway contest when you take the next step:
By Leap Day (Feb. 29th), please record and send me a video of you/your pets/your kids/your family saying one or more of the following words/lines from the book (since some might only be able to repeat a word if they can’t read well). In return, you will get to see the video of me and my family opening up the books for the first time. The more videos sent, the more entries (50 for each). :)
- In the Galapagos, high on a ledge,
- albatross young are preparing to fledge.
- Facing the breeze, they gaze at the sky,
- dreaming of all the new places to fly.
- What if I’m lonely or scared in the night?
- Will I miss home? Meet critters that bite?
- "¡Puedes hacerlo! You can do it!” they reply.
- “We hope you enjoy your new view from up high!”
- Finally cleared of her what-ifs and whys,
- Waverly runs toward the ocean and…
- flies!
Please upload your video to the numbered Google Drive folders by Thursday, Feb. 29th. Ideally you’d be recording from your phone vertically (as most reels on social media are now showing up), but if you are having technical difficulties, any format is fine. Just as long as I can see and hear you. :) Please email me at samanthacoraphoto@gmail.com and let me know if you have any questions.
Let’s help Waverly’s message of bravery and friendship soar across the globe! Special thanks to Tra Publishing, Simon & Schuster, and illustrator Rosie Eve for helping this story take flight! And thank you to all of you!!
How to order the book
I’ve received some great questions from several people about the best way to pre-order my book by April 23rd. Right now, the publisher is requesting that pre-orders mainly be ordered through this link on Amazon since early activity there can help the book succeed once it’s officially released. That said, I realize that people would like more options. Here are just a few: Tra Publishing, which supports an organization that plants a tree for each book ordered. Bookshop.org, which helps support your favorite local bookstore in the process. Once I know where my book will be in local bookstores I’ll be sure to share those details, too.
Thank you again! I look forward to sharing more updates soon!
