Hello Friends!
It's hard to believe that it's been almost 3 weeks since the official launch of “Waverly Braves the Breeze: The Story of a Galapagos Albatross” on April 23rd!
I am beyond grateful for all of you who have been placing orders and spreading the word with your local libraries, bookstores, and schools. I love seeing the pictures you're sending and hearing the feedback from you and your kids. If you feel so inclined, I'd love it if you could leave a review on Goodreads and/or Amazon to help more people learn about the book and Waverly's message of bravery, friendship, and conservation. Thank you so much!
A big congrats to Adi who won the Leap Day Giveaway for a signed copy of my book – and thank you to all of you who recorded videos and shared info about the book on your social media platforms. Expect to find a signed copy in your mailbox soon, Adi. :)
In this email I'll be sharing another exciting giveaway (enter by May 29th)! I'll also be including recaps of my first book talks and upcoming events, including one that will be live-streamed on June 22nd so you don't have to be local to attend!
I've made a few more updates to my website, including a video intro requested by a school in England prior to their book reading since they were studying the animals of the Galapagos Islands. It also makes a great conversation starter to share with your kids before reading the book, too! :)
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement!
Samantha Cora
First Book Talks in the Books!
I am thrilled that I've had the opportunity to share Waverly's story at several events over the last few weeks, including during the 9in|9out Conference, with Wingra School 5-7 year olds, and the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators - Wisconsin Chapter members during their April Kid Lit Book Buzz virtual gathering, which included several other great picture book debuts from local authors, including:
- "At The End of the Day" by Lisl H. Detlefsen
- "Lights Out: A Movement to Help Migrating Birds" by Jessica Stremer (a fall event is in the works with this author to pair our migration stories)
- "Blankie's Makeover" by Kathy Nieber
Watch the SCBWI replay by May 30th with passcode KSwu?3t!
Upcoming Events
I am looking forward to visiting my K-8 grade school and another elementary school in Lebanon, WI this week, as well as attending the Nature Everywhere Conference in Madison later this month to help Waverly’s message of bravery and friendship soar far and wide!
I'm also starting to schedule more book talks, signings, and presentations! Please save the dates for these events:
- June 12: 5-9 p.m. Wednesday at The Sylvee, Madison WI (learn more below about the giveaway for this nonprofit fundraising event!)
- June 22: 11 a.m. Saturday at Mystery to Me Bookstore, Madison, WI (space is limited so RSVP, but the event will also be live-streamed here)
- June 29: 11 a.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble - West, Madison, WI
- July 27: 10 a.m. Saturday at Literatus & Co, Watertown, WI
Is there a local bookstore, library, school, or other venue that you think I should visit? Please reply to this email and I can get in touch with them, or you can send them the press release and activity guide below if they are interested in reaching out to me.
Thank you for the support! Please follow along for more @author.samanthacora on Facebook and Instagram and encourage your friends to do the same!
Giveaway: Donate a Book, Enter to Win a Ticket to the Fashion Show!
For those of you who may have seen my recent social media post featuring hints to our next giveaway (photos of Waverly's book, The Cap Times, The Sylvee, and Madison Reading Project) -- here is the scoop!
The Cap Times is a sponsor of the Madison Reading Project's annual paper fashion show and fundraiser being held at The Sylvee in Madison on the evening of Wednesday, June 12th, and they have expressed interest in partnering with me to bring Waverly to the runway! This fundraiser will help one of my favorite nonprofits connect our community with free books and literacy resources to ignite a love for reading that reflect and affirm the unique identities of young readers.
Each outfit for the READ(y) To Wear "Dress for Your Adventure" theme that is modeled during the fashion show fundraiser must be made of 90% paper, and The Cap Times has donated 50 copies of its newspaper to be used in my team's Galapagos albatross design. How cool is that?!
Since I'm about the last person on the planet with fashion sense or a desire to step on stage and model anything, I have enlisted the help of my childhood neighbor and friend! Becky has a background in fashion design and is comfortable in the limelight (you should see some of the videos she and my sister and our neighbors made with our giant camcorder), so she is designing the outfit and will be our model! Meanwhile, she is creating plans for my nieces and nephew to help cut out patterns in the newspaper to form the outfit.
Want to win a ticket to watch the June 12th fashion show with me and a few other special guests? Enter to win the next giveaway by purchasing a copy of "Waverly Braves the Breeze: The Story of a Galapagos Albatross" that I will sign and donate to the Madison Reading Project. You can use this Google form to do so, and I'm requesting submissions by May 29th so there is time to select a winner and save your spot at the show! If you want to donate a book but don't live nearby or can't make it to the event, you will be entered to win your own signed copy of the book. Reach out with any questions that aren't addressed on the form!
How To Purchase Your Own Copy
I’ve received some great questions from several people about the best way to order my book. Some bookstores already have it on their shelves, and you can always request that they order it if you can't find it. Otherwise, you can use this link on Amazon, or through Tra Publishing, which supports an organization that plants a tree for each book ordered, or at Bookshop.org, which helps support your favorite local bookstore in the process.
Thank you again! I look forward to sharing more updates soon!
