Author J Roe

Writing quirky characters on redemptive journeys

Author Resources

6 Easy {and FUN} Ways to Share the Book Love

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Have you have ever reached the end of a book and gotten excited to find another book by the same author? They have brought joy and happiness to your life, so now you want MORE! And if you are a certain type of reader, you want to let that author know how much you love their books. Believe me, I understand. As a bookworm and mom to book nerds myself, I have looked for ways to let authors know how much we appreciate their work. And now that I have a long running series of books retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures published myself, I have been thrilled to have readers reach out to me. So read on if you are excited to learn 6 easy {and FUN} ways to share the book love!

Easy Way #1: Book Recommendations ROCK!

It is well-known in the author community that the best marketing is word of mouth. When readers love your books so much that they have to talk their friends into reading them too, life is amazing. And honestly? It is super easy to do. All you need is to consider who might enjoy a book you love. Aunt Wilma who loves gardening and women’s fiction? She will love Francine River’s book, Leota’s Garden. And your best friend MacKenzie who teaches middle grade English and loves fantasy should check out S.J. Howland’s The Traveller’s Stone or R.V. Bowman’s The Pirate Princess Chronicles. Did your roommate from college adore rom-coms? Please tell her to grab Emma St. Clair’s Love Cliche series.

I do this all the time. Just picture me using that cute little send button on my kindle app to share recommendations with my contacts when I read something I know they will love. I never have to even get up, and it clicks me right back over to my book. This costs maybe 2-5 minutes of your time and your friend feels special because you connected them with something you love.

Easy Way #2: Bookworms Having FUN on Social Media

Now, not everyone is social media guru, and that is totally okay. You don’t have to be a famous #bookstagrammer over on Instagram taking intricate photos of book flatlays or book shelfies unless you enjoy it. {And hey, if you do enjoy it, connect with me here, because I love it, too.} But if that’s not your thing, but you do want to give a favorite author or book some love, here are a few ideas. Share a quote you love on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using appropriate hashtags. Make a Tiktok video or Reel dancing with the book and share the fun silliness with your followers. Go live and talk about the book and why it means so much to you. Create a “Books to Read” board on Pinterest and pin it there. I bet once you start looking around social media, you’ll find enjoyable creative ways to share your love for the book and author, which also helps your followers feel more connected with and valued by you.

Easy Way #3: Highlight in Your Kindle

I must give some credit with this tip. Thanks to @kikimojo, who writes under the pen names Emma St. Clair and Sullivan Grey, on Instagram for letting us know that authors can see important passages readers highlight in their Kindle. She uses those highlights to help her market her books! In fact, you can look them up, too, by going into your app and clicking popular highlights. If you are looking to share quotes, it’s already done for you! Want to spread the love further? Don’t just highlight in your Kindle, make sure to publish your highlights on Goodreads and then all your followers there will see what passages made the book special to you. Such an easy way to share the book love!

Easy Way #4: Ask For Your Best Books at the Library

Raise your hand if you are tight on funds but still want ALL THE BOOKS? Yep, you can’t see me, but I just raised my hand. Most public libraries, especially in the USA, have a certain portion of their budget set aside to acquire new titles every year. Some people might think that this rips off the author as the book gets bought only once and then is borrowed over and over again. Let me tell you, that’s just not true. First of all, libraries have a different purchasing model because of the borrowing system. Also, libraries create life-long readers who often check out books and go on to purchase their favorites and become rabid fans. What author WOULDN’T want to be part of a system that feeds into fandoms? Make sure to talk to your librarian, or just dig around on your library’s website to find how you can get your requests in. And make sure to check it out and encourage your friends to as well if your library purchases it. You definitely want your favorite author and their books to get a great reputation with those hard-working librarians!

Easy Way #5: Follow Your Favorite Author and Get Free Books!

What is better than receiving a free book? Umm, not much, right? If you follow your favorite author on Goodreads, you will get notified every time they are doing a giveaway. I am following a ton of authors over there and love getting little notifications of their giveaways and later when the book comes out. I loved the giveaway I did with Goodreads last year and look forward to shipping off more book boxes in the future, so feel free to follow me here.

Want more? If you join your favorite author’s mailing list, there is usually a free book as an incentive. Before the Tower, the prequel to Rapunzel’s Journey, is my freebie for joining my list. I love hearing from readers about how they have enjoyed knowing what came before Rapunzel was imprisoned in her tower. And many, many authors (including me!) will give even more free books to those who become part of their review team. You get a free book and copy and paste your honest review on several online retailers and/or all over social media. How fun and easy is that?

Easy Way #6: Become a Patron and Support Great Books

Did you know that you can directly influence how much time your author has to keep writing those books you love? I didn’t know about this till recently, either. A long time ago, wealthy aristocrats would support poor, starving artists, musicians, and authors monetarily so that they could afford to create their masterpieces. The idea was if their physical needs were met, they could continue pouring their hearts and souls into creating those works of art. Now, most of us artistic types aren’t funded by billionaires. We do, however, have “patrons” who supply different levels of support and we give back with early access to our works, etc. Creating my own Patreon account with several different levels has been so fun for me, and I was thrilled to see that patrons could give as little as a dollar a month and hop off if their finances or interests change. You can learn more by clicking here on my Patreon. Be sure to use the search bar to look up other authors you might want to support. Thank you in advance!

Which of these 6 Easy {and FUN} Ways to Share the Book Love Are You Going to Try?

So, there you have it, 6 easy {and FUN} ways you can share the book love. Whether you’re online, at the library, or making a monthly donation, there is always a simple way you can help your most treasured books keep getting written. Which one will you be trying? Let me know in the comments or by sending me a message!

About JacQueline

As the author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, JacQueline also wrote Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, to share hope in the battle against chronic pain and depression. Currently she lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All opinions expressed on this website come from her own experience. Do not substitute it for professional therapy or medical advice. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline’s family at no additional cost to you.

If you are a reader wanting to connect with JacQueline, you can get a free book here. Each month you will receive book recommendations and other booknerd fun.

Are you a writer or an author looking for help? JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author coach, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free coaching call to learn what steps you should take next now.

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Celebrating the End of a Hard Year

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This is not the end

How can we say we are celebrating the year if it was hard? If you’ve been struggling with illness, grief, job loss, or relationship issues, maybe you don’t know how. One look at my KanBan board reveals rows and rows of sticky note goals that haven’t been achieved and moved into the “CELEBRATE!” column.

When we are dealing with obstacles thrown into our path during life’s journey, discouragement tells us we are failures. But, what if we look beyond the planned success on our vision boards? I think there are things each of us have learned, perhaps the hard way, that are worth recognizing. Why not end the year celebrating those victories so that we can begin looking for such treasures in the New Year?

As you can see, I haven’t been able to “clear” my “to-do’s” on my KanBan Board.

Celebrating the Year: Recognize when coping becomes healing

I remember when I was younger a well-meaning teacher told me that coping was unhealthy. It was the path of developing strategies to avoid what needed to be dealt with. Being young and impressionable, I took her word for it and began to despise the word. I scrutinized and judged everyone around me who used coping mechanisms to survive.

But I’ve been trying to recover and heal from several things this year. For months, I was avoiding pain, both physical and emotional. Most of us have done this at one point in our lives, and there’s a cost. For me, migraines became debilitating and led to a dark depression riddled with suicidal thoughts.

My counselor has reminded me that we have to live our lives, not escape them. We must journey through the low points to reach the other side of healing. I’ve had to learn to process pain differently and try several different ways of relieving it because my body doesn’t respond well to many medicinal or natural remedies. Developing coping mechanisms to process has helped me work through my issues.

Prayer walking and #walkthankful

Below I use links to a fitness resource I have found essential for my chronic illness issues. Here is the link to their free open house during which you can try out all their courses and workouts free for the month of December. If you use any of these links, please know I will receive a small affiliate payment that will cost you nothing extra ONLY if you decide to invest at the end of the open house.

Recognizing I have to deal with the pain in my life, including the aching loss of my sister, I have begun moving my body again. Last November, right before my sister’s death, I joined the #walkthankful challenge by Fit2B. In it, you take a walk every day for the month and contemplate what you are thankful for. My life had become about migraines and my sister’s brain-injury, so I wanted to participate even if we couldn’t do it every day. I loved those short walks with her and I miss them.

Taking walks after her death felt impossible, but I knew I needed the warmth of movement to heal. So I began prayer-walking, pouring out my anger and anxiety to the God I was having a hard time trusting. As I walked through the pouring rain last spring, I cried. During the blazing hot months of summer, I shielded my eyes with sunglasses and decided to keep walking, keep praying, keep sweating. My mind would drift and it became less and less about my pain and more about the beauty the Creator had surrounded me with. By the time November came, I was ready and needing to walk in gratitude, even though it hurt to live through the horrible anniversary of her death.

Bonding with children and friends

What shouldn’t have surprised any of us is how God layers our days with support if we open our eyes. I had started counseling again, uprooting some bad habits and developing some healthier ones. My children often go on walks with me. My youngest loves chattering away happily as we discover secret pathways through our suburban neighborhood. Friends through FaceBook pray for me and my family, reaching out as we continue along. Fellow readers and writers on Instagram and Twitter have sent messages of support. I’ve even had readers of my books check in on me, people who feel like they know me simply because I have shared stories with them.

This linked-up community of chronic illness warriors has been a lifeline to so many, but I think it can go far beyond that. I believe people long for connection, but sometimes we have to take steps to make it happen. A year ago, when my sister Joy died, neighbors reached out to me. On her birthday, I made cookies in her memory, and went door to door delivering them. I did it because I wanted to do something good. Why not take the little bit of energy we have and do nice things for others? It took the focus off of me and my pain and placed it on others. I know we can’t do it all the time, but this was worth it. Though surprised, my neighbors and I had nice chats. My plan is to do this every year on Joy’s birthday.

Celebrating the Year: what to do with unmet goals

Over the past year, I thought I would have written two more books than I have. Instead, I’ve been processing, journaling, learning what I need to in order to survive this season. When I write my next memoir/Biblestudy, I pray it will have the depth and resolution it needs to help others. I can celebrate publishing Before the Tower and Amidst the Castles, but . . . It’s hard to let go those that didn’t happen. Each of my writing projects took longer and more out of me than I anticipated. I bet you understand. Those obstacles really take it out of us, don’t they?

I don’t yet have a great grasp on how long it takes me to accomplish things, but I do know I won’t quit until I have completed each project. The last novel for this year, Within the Spell, is finally through edits. It came out today, just in time for Christmas. *Deep Breath* It’s been a hard journey, but I’ve made progress and it’s worth celebrating this year. We learn, right? Let’s look at the next year and keep striving, but not pushing too hard or too fast.

Please share with us, what unexpected lesson learned can we celebrate with you? What path did you travel that you might not have wanted to, but you’re stronger for having traversed?

JacQueline Vaughn Roe

About JacQueline

As the author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, JacQueline also wrote Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, to share hope in the battle against chronic pain and depression. Currently she lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All opinions expressed on this website come from her own experience. Do not substitute it for professional therapy or medical advice. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline’s family at no additional cost to you.

If you are a reader wanting to connect with JacQueline, you can get a free book here. Each month you will receive book recommendations and other booknerd fun.

Are you a writer or an author looking for help? JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author coach, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free coaching call to learn what steps you should take next now.

Graphic Design for Social Media: JacQueline Vaughn Roe. Contact her for help with graphic design or other author services.

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Why Dread Writing Newsletters?

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I recently became aware that my time writing and researching the author business has enabled me to be help other entrepreneurs. I thought I would begin posting monthly a short blog about best current practices, often reviewing a helpful book you may want to add to your arsenal. The first resource I want to review is Newsletter Ninja, which helped me answer the question, Why do I dread newsletters?

Why should you write newsletters?

If you dread writing newsletters, you may easily convince yourself to skip it. I have done so myself. As an author, I spend my time writing words and making my words tell stories in a book form that will help others by either entertaining or teaching, sometimes both. Why on earth would I want to take out time from that important endeavor? Other tasks in each of our businesses take enormous amounts of concentration and stopping to write an email seems superfluous–maybe even outdated. Isn’t everyone sick of spammy newsletters clogging up their inbox?

But, I have become convinced by experts that I need to have an authentic way to connect with my ideal readers. After all, social media, one of the ways I originally connected with readers, has become increasingly pay-to-play. Platforms like Facebook have buried organic reach, making it harder and harder for people to see a post unless we are spending money to create ads.

But, good grief, I have spent years overthinking every newsletter I was writing. I was working hard, but getting no-where. So when I heard this awesome interview with Tammi Labreque about her book Newsletter Ninja, I decided to spend a few dollars and check it out. And you know what? Things are starting to come together for me.

Do you dread writing newsletters?

If you are convinced that you need a way to develop a relationship with your ideal readers or customers, this book has some amazing insight into how to do so. Tammi uses her great sense of humor (and some profanity, if that bothers you) to share years of helpful experience.

While reading the book, I realized why I’ve been dreading writing my newsletters. I’ve been viewing them as a frustrating and useless interruption to writing. But Tammi’s suggestion to re-imagine my perfect reader and invite them into a fun conversation each month changed my perspective.

So, I did. I thought of who would love to purchase my product, in my case, my current series. What would we have in common? What other things would this imaginary-but-not-imaginary-friend enjoy that I might be able to discuss monthly?

This month’s encouragement: Stop dreading writing newsletters

There is so much wonderful information in this book, that I highly recommend it. It can literally help you stop dreading writing newsletters and instead enjoy it! Tammi shares criteria to help you choose an email provider, how to keep your newsletters from going to the spam folder, why and how to create an automated onboarding sequence, and most importantly, she reminds us to always provide something worthwhile to your reader. I have not yet implemented everything in the book and it may take another business year to get it all right. But you know what? I’m not dreading writing my newsletter anymore!

So, this month, I want to encourage you to have a little fun. Make a date with yourself and create a profile of your favorite kind of reader. Don’t just imagine yourself with a new name. Tammi is pretty adamant that though we may like our own writing, we are not our ideal reader.

Dive deep and think about the kind of super-fan you would love to connect with. You might even poll your current readers through social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Stories all love polls right now). What kinds of shows would this ideal reader be drawn to? Is it mainly men or women? Single or married or divorced? With or without children? A person who binges Hallmark Christmas movies, or stands in line for hours to get the newest Apple product?

Ask those random questions and some targeted ones. See what comes up! Think it over carefully and then, write your newsletter to that very specific person. Have fun, ask at least one question that kind of person is dying to answer, and share something to make their life better.

Newsletters to check out

Now, I don’t know that I would have picked up the book Newsletter Ninja if the timing had not coincided with discovering two very different, but wonderful approaches to newsletters. I highly recommend you check out Susan May Warren and Erica Baldwin to see helpful and fun examples of writers who make it a pleasure to open your email. Also, if you know of a writer whose newsletter you love, share it in the comments or on social media so we can follow along and learn.

Of course, I’d love to have you on my newsletter if you enjoy fairytale retellings, or just want to subscribe for a few months to see how I’m implementing what I’ve learned. My onboarding sequence will first take you to my freebie, which is a novella you can find here.

Next month, I will be reviewing another helpful resource. What would you like me to tackle next?

JacQueline Vaughn Roe

JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author consultant, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free author assessment to learn what steps you should take next now.

Author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, and  Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, which chronicles her battle with chronic pain and depression, JacQueline uses her writing to share stories of hope and joy.

JacQueline currently lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All of her writing is from her own experience and based on her opinion. It should never be substituted for a professional therapist.

photography: Kaitlyn Baker and J. Kelly Brito

Graphic Design for Social Media: JacQueline Vaughn Roe. Contact her for help with graphic design or other author services.

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