Eva Pohler's Blog, page 3
February 18, 2025
Discover the Beauty of Crocheted Book Sleeves
Crocheted Book Sleeves
Crocheted book sleeves protect your hardbacks and paperbacks and add to their beauty. What's not to love?
And I'm obsessed with making them. I enjoy going back and forth between writing books and crocheting sleeves. My writing process has improved since I've incorporated crocheting into it!
Needless to say, I've accumulated quite a few of these crocheted book sleeves, so I've decided to make them available for purchase.
You can customize your order by choosing between three patterns. You can also tell me whether you want your sleeve in one, two, or three colors and which colors you prefer.
To learn more or to purchase a sleeve, visit this page on my website.
If you'd rather make your own crocheted book sleeves, I'm happy to share my pattern with you.
This pattern fits a 6"x9" book.
I use a 5 mm hook and a 4 (medium) ply yarn.
The base for each sleeve is the same:
From your slip knot, chain 30.
In the second chain from hook, make two single crochets.
Single crochet in the remaining chains.
Add a second single crochet in the last chain.
Turn and single crochet along the other side of your chain, creating a round.
Make sure your final stich is in the chain with the two double crochets. Then, slip-stich into the first of the two single crochets in that same chain, to total 60 stitches in the round.
Crochet 2-3 more rounds of single crochet, making sure to maintain 60 stitches in each round. If you're off by a stitch or two, just increase or decrease as needed. Three or four rounds of single crochet will give you a nice base to protect the spine before you move on to whatever pattern you want to use.
From here, you can begin a fan stitch in either the same color or a different one. To begin, chain two more, and use this three-chain start as the first post in your fan. Then, in the same stitch, double crochet, chain 1, and double crochet 2. This will complete your first fan.
Skip to the fifth stitch on the round to make your second fan: double crochet 2, chain 1, double crochet 2. Skip to the fifth stitch to make your third fan and continue all the way around. When you are four stitches from the first fan, slip-stitch to complete the round.
Crochet the second row of fans in the same color. Start your first fan by chaining two and using that chain as the first post in your fan. Then double crochet next to it, between the first and last fan of your previous round. Chain 1, double crochet 2. That will complete the first fan of your second round of fans.
Make the second fan in the space between the bottom fans and continue all the way around with a slip-stitch to complete the round. Make a knot and tie off to switch colors.
With the second color, chain 2 (in addition to the first chain created by your starting knot) to create the first post in the fan. Then, double crochet, chain 1, and double crochet 2. This will make your first fan in the new color.
Continue as you did in the last round, with a slip-stitch to complete it.
Make the second round of fans in this new color the same way you did before.
Keep alternating 2 rounds of fan stitches in each color, until you reach your desired width.
If you'd like, you can create a button hook by chaining fifteen from the center back stitch. Then slip-stitch back around to reinforce the hook, tying off at the end.
Sew on a button of choice to complete the look.
Instead of a fan stitch, you can single crochet several more rounds and add a few rounds of the puff stitch to make this pattern.
1. To make the puff stitch (in the same color or a new one), yarn over and pull through the same stitch three times.
This will make 7 loops on your hook. Pull through all seven loops.
2. Complete the puff with a single crochet in the next stitch.
You will be looking at the back off the puff. The right side looks like this.
3. Continue all the way around, making a slip-stitch to complete the round.
4. Switch back to the original color to crochet more rounds of single crochet. Then add in rows of the puff stitch wherever you please until you reach the desired width for your sleeve.
You can vary the look of your crocheted book sleeves by alternating different stitches in your rounds. In the above sleeve, I used a double crochet with a chain to form a mesh row.
To make the mesh row, chain three from your starting chain (to total four chains). Then skip a stitch and double crochet. Chain 1 before skipping a stitch and repeating the process.
Complete the mesh row with a slip-stitch, making sure there's a skipped chain between the first and last stitch in the round.
I love creating my own patterns for these, so check back frequently for more!
Purchase your custom crocheted book sleeve here: https://www.evapohler.com/product-page/crocheted-book-sleeve.
Happy Reading and Happy Crocheting!
October 17, 2024
My Annual Fright and Delight Giveaway
You're invited to my fourth annual Fright and Delight Giveaway!
This is how the Fright and Delight Giveaway works: each day in the week leading up to Halloween, I will post a giveaway in The Pohler Bear Lounge on Facebook. The giveaway will usually involve a "getting to know you" question, such as "Who is your favorite vampire?" A reader enters the giveaway by answering my question in the comments. Each giveaway will remain open until the afternoon of Halloween, at which time I will use random dot org to select my winners.
The winners of the Fright and Delight Giveaway will be announced on Halloween night during a ZOOM PARTY at 8 PM CST, where we will play more games for prizes and chat about my current projects. There will also be time to ask me questions about my writing, if anyone wants to.
The party will be recorded and posted in The Pohler Bear Lounge so those who enter the Fright and Delight Giveaway but can't attend the Zoom live can still see the winners and enjoy the fun.
These are the prizes I'll be giving away in the week leading up to the party:
Seven days before Halloween, I'll be offering this Moon Tree Journal and Wicked Witch of the East Bookmark. These items are currently available in my store.
This "If I Can't Take My Book, I'm Not Going" keychain and book charm will be given away during the 6th day before Halloween. While this cute item is not available in my store, my Premium Pohler Bears received this, along with a Wonderland Tote, in last month's premium package. You can learn more about premium memberships here.
On the fifth day before Halloween, I'll be giving away the first trilogy of THE UNDERWORLD SAGA, contained in this anniversary hardback volume. This particular volume was sent to me from the printer with the wrong jacket, so the winner will receive a naked hardback--quite beautiful on its own.
Four days before, I'll be offering these puzzles for book lovers, along with an "It's Not Hoarding if it's Books" enamel pin, an "I'm Busy Exorcising" sticker, and a book-themed gift bag.
With three days left, I'll be giving away, not one but two, copies of THE CASE OF THE ABANDONED WAREHOUSE in paperback (signed)--one for you and one for a friend. These copies are slightly damaged on the edge of the front cover. It's barely noticeable, but I still can't sell them, which is why I'm giving them away. And although this is the second book in THE MYSTERY HOUSE SERIES, the books in that series can be read in any order.
Everyone seems to love these bookish earrings, and I'll be giving away a pair two days before Halloween. You can find them, along with other variations, in my store here.
And last, but not least . . . one day before Halloween, I'll be offering this gorgeous Wonderland Tote. It's much bigger than it looks in this photo, measuring twelve inches wide and fourteen inches tall. You can find it and my other totes here.
So, there you have it--my fourth annual Fright and Delight Giveaway in a nutshell. Join us in THE POHLER BEAR LOUNGE on Facebook on October 24th to countdown to Halloween, and then come to the ZOOM PARTY on Halloween night at 8 PM CST for about thirty minutes.
I will post a replay of the ZOOM party in the lounge for those who can't attend in person, but I hope to see you there!
July 5, 2024
Coming October 1st to Kickstarter
I couldn't find a novel that explores the life of Athena from ancient to modern times. It's strange that more hasn't been written about her, since she is a favorite for many lovers of Greek mythology.
Not a fan of Athena being revered as a "virgin goddess" (it's misogynistic, in my opinion--we don't revere "virgin gods"), I set out to explain her virginity with a tragic love story between her and Prometheus amid undertones of rebellion and revolution. A time leap to modern times forces Athena to choose sides, leading to her ultimate happily-ever-after. The love story is the new twist, but everything else about this complete chronicle of Athena's life is pretty much true to canon.
I'm turning to Kickstarter to gauge interest in a deluxe hardcover edition of ATHENA with gold foiling, interior art, and sprayed edges and a 40-card book-themed oracle deck.
If you're not familiar with Kickstarter, this infographic from The Speak Boutique might help:
If the novel were a movie, I would rate it PG-13. Here's a trope graphic:
Here's another infographic from The Speak Boutique:
Backers have options of how much they would like to pledge, and the more they pledge, the more they "pre-order." For example, in my campaign, a backer can pledge as little as $7 for the ebook version on the first tier and as much as $2000 for a one-year mentorship on the tenth tier.
Here are the tiers that will be available for my campaign:
(Please note: The first ten backers to pledge at this tier will be included in the Acknowledgments of the luxe hardcover.) Ebook, Paperback, Luxe Hardcover, plus Specialty Items in Collector's Box (matching journal and bookmarks, character art, bookish post-it labels, and owl enamel pin), $100.
(Please note: The first ten backers to pledge at this tier will be included in the Acknowledgments of the luxe hardcover.) Ebook, Paperback, Luxe Hardcover, 40-Card Book-Themed Oracle Deck, Deck Box, and Guidebook, plus Specialty Items in Collector's Box (matching journal and bookmarks, character art, bookish post-it labels, and owl enamel pin), $150.
(Please note: The backer to pledge at this tier will be included in the Acknowledgments of the luxe hardcover.) Ebook, Paperback, Luxe Hardcover, 40-Card Book-Themed Oracle Deck, Deck Box, Guidebook, and Specialty Items in Collector's Box (matching journal and bookmarks, character art, bookish post-it labels, and owl enamel pin), plus the DEDICATION, $350 (one only).
(Please note: All backers to pledge at this tier will be included in the Acknowledgments of the luxe hardcover.) Ebook, Paperback, Luxe Hardcover, 40-Card Book-Themed Oracle Deck, Deck Box, Guidebook, and Specialty Items in Collector's Box (matching journal and bookmarks, character art, bookish post-it labels, and owl enamel pin), plus NAME A CHARACTER, $500 (five only).
(Please note: All backers to pledge at this tier will be included in the Acknowledgments of the luxe hardcover.) Ebook, Paperback, Luxe Hardcover, 40-Card Book-Themed Oracle Deck, Deck Box, Guidebook, and Specialty Items in Collector's Box (matching journal and bookmarks, character art, bookish post-it labels, and owl enamel pin), plus a one-year mentorship, $2000 (five only).
The highest tier will include a one-year mentorship with me as I hold your hand through writing, publishing, and marketing your work. I teach these skills at Trinity University and have a free video course on my YouTube channel. The one-year mentorship is only open to five backers. It will include feedback on your writing project, guidance in self-publishing in both ebook and print at all the platforms--including Amazon and Ingram for print and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, and Apple for ebook (along with getting into libraries). I will also guide you in audiobook creation and inform you of all the options. The most intensive part of the mentorship will consist of my guidance in website creation (with good SEO and optimized for conversions), brand development, email marketing, content marketing, influencer marketing, social media marketing, Facebook advertising, Bookbub advertising, Amazon advertising, and Google advertising, along with direct sales. We will zoom monthly, have weekly phone calls, and correspond through email.
Here's one more infographic from The Speak Boutique:
Although the campaign won't launch until October 1st, you can help me now by following the campaing here (the more followers, the more visibility the campaign receives on Kickstarter) and by sharing these social media posts:
Click to Tweet on X: Check out @evapohler on #Kickstarter. Her luxe hardcover of #Athena with reversible foiled jacket over foiled casing and interior art promises to be exquisite: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/evapohler/luxe-athena-hardcover-and-book-themed-oracle-cards .
Click to share on Instagram:
Click to share on Facebook:
July 2, 2024
A July 4th Release Party
You're invited!
Please come to my July 4th Release Party on Zoom at 3PM CST on July 4th.
We've been counting down with a week's worth of giveaways in THE POHLER BEAR LOUNGE on Facebook. The giveaways will remain open until noon on July 4th. Join the lounge here to participate.
Here's an example of what I'm giving away in the lounge:
During the ZOOM party, we'll be celebrating the release of the 13th book in my MYSTERY HOUSE SERIES--a collection of stand-alone novels about three friends in their fifties who renovate or visit haunted properties and try to solve the mystery of what's tethering the ghosts. Each mystery is based on a TRUE injustice that occurred at the location in which the novel is set.
VOICES IN THE VAPORS takes place in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and you won't believe what the ladies get up to there!
The book releases in ebook, paperback (regular and large print), hardback, and audiobook on July 4th.
You can find all the vendors, including my own store, here.
We'll be celebrating the release with games and prizes! Among other things, I'm giving away an unsigned paperback copy of Jennifer Armentrout's newest release, From Blood and Ash, and a signed paperback copy of VOICES IN THE VAPORS.
I will also be doing an EXCLUSIVE cover reveal of the 14th book in THE MYSTERY HOUSE SERIES!
To get in on the fun, bookmark this link and join us at 3PM CST on JULY 4th (If you can't attend at that time, no worries. I'll post a replay in the lounge so you don't miss the cover reveal and other exclusive announcements!): https://trinity.zoom.us/j/97657301988.
I hope to see you there!
June 7, 2024
I'm Giving Away an EReader of Choice
I'm giving away an ereader of choice to one lucky Pohler Bear. This giveaway is only open to people already subscribed to The Pohler Express. The giveaway will run from June 13 to June 25, 2024.
One lucky winner can choose which reading device they'd like to have from these options:
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite ($149)
Apple iPad (2018 model but brand new) ($132)
Kobo Clara Color ($149.99)
Nook 9" Lenovo Tablet ($140)
Entering this giveaway is super easy. All you have to do is recommend my free guide, THE BOOKWORM BIBLE, to a friend. If the friend follows through and accepts this gift by joining my newsletter, you get an entry.
To keep track of entries, I'm using Rafflecopter. On the Rafflecopter widget, you'll see a link to share with your friend for getting THE BOOKWORM BIBLE. Below this link is a place to enter your friend's email address. Your friend's email address will not be used for anything other than to verify their successful receipt of THE BOOKWORM BIBLE. Please be sure to recommend this guide to a true book lover that will want it.
You must be eighteen or older to enter. This giveaway is open internationally. The winner will be announced in The Pohler Express on June 27th. The winner has one week to claim the prize before a new winner will be selected. Once a winner claims the prize and chooses the preferred ereader device, the prize will be ordered and shipped within two days. Cash will not be given in lieu of an ereader, so please only enter if you really want a reading device.
I think this will be a fun way to spread the joy of reading while helping me to build a bigger audience for my books. I hope you have fun with it!
By the way, if you need help deciding which device is right for you, be sure to read this article.
May 11, 2024
Get Caught Reading Month: Summer Reading Made Easy
May is Get Caught Reading Month - a nationwide public service campaign launched by the Association of American Publishers to remind people of all ages how much fun it is to read. I've taken the liberty of making a summer reading timeline for Pohler Bears! Ready to get started?
May is for Greek mythology! Get your summer reading off to a great start. With the release of Athena, it's time to re-read or get caught up on all nine books in The Underworld Saga, plus the prequel and two companion novels.
June is ghost mysteries month! It's the time to reread or get caught up on all the books in The Mystery House Series in time for the July 4th release of Voices in the Vapors. Summer reading never felt so other-worldly!
July is a month for thrillers! This would be a great time to reread or check out the books in The Nightmare Collection, followed by The Purgatorium Series, to keep your spine tingling on those hot summer nights (if you live in the northern hemisphere. Curl up to the chills if you live in the southern).
Last but not least, August is for vampires! Travel to Athens and experience high sea adventures on the Mediterranean and Arabian Seas while falling in love with The Vampires of Athens and the Vampires and Gods Series. What a better way to wrap up your summer reading?
May 2, 2024
Are Greek Myth Retellings Problematic?
More specifically, are Greek myth retellings by non-Greek writers problematic?
These are questions asked by video essayist Kate Alexandra in her eloquent and thought-provoking YouTube project, "The Problem with Greek Myth Retellings."
After pointing out that the recent flood of Greek myth retellings hitting today's market are nothing new, she argues that they are different from their predecessors in one crucial way: they make women and other marginalized voices their focus. Describing them as "corrective" retellings, she questions whether they can really be called "feminist" while maintaining most of the patriarchal trappings that frame them. Furthermore, she wonders whether these voices were ever "really silent in the first place."
As an example, Alexandra points to A Thousand Ships, by Natalie Haynes, which she admits is a well-written and enjoyable read. She disagrees, however, with Haynes's presumption that the stories of the women from the Odyssey are untold, citing examples from ancients texts, including The Odyssey itself. Alexandra wonders what Haynes is "fixing" with her retelling, or what new insight she is contributing with her story. Moreover, she fears that A Thousand Ships will be read by many readers in place of The Iliad and The Odyssey and may lead those readers to believe wrongly that Homer's versions are "war poems exclusively about men."
Alexandra next uses The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller to illustrate another "corrective" retelling that acknowledges the true relationship between Achilles and Patroclus as something much more profound than friendship. Alexandra points out that in order to tell her story, Miller must change the characters from their original source to make them more sympathetic to modern audiences. Alexandra further states that "the beauty of Greek myths is that they are flexible and varied enough to mold to contemporary tastes."
But then she quickly returns to this fear of modern retellings becoming too far removed from their ancient past--as if it's the responsibility of modern authors to educate readers about the myths of antiquity.
And maybe it is.
In the final part of her video, Alexandra expresses a concern that writers of these retellings are appropriating a culture to which they do not belong and gaining financially from it. And, while her video received over a thousand comments, it was this last topic that seemed to spark the most discussion.
Many commenters, especially those who identified themselves as modern Greeks, agreed that Greeks are victims of cultural appropriation by (mostly American) non-Greek writers who care more about spinning a marketable, money-making story than respecting Greek history and culture.
Other commenters pointed out that Greek mythology has been part of the Western literary canon for centuries and is taught to most Western children, including Americans, from a young age. They also point out that Greek culture--government, philosophy, language, and art--is the foundation for most of Western culture, making it part of Western culture, too.
Although, according to 23 and Me, I have Greek ancestry, I am otherwise an American, non-Greek writer who loves to author Greek myth retellings. I have been obsessed with Greek mythology since I was in middle school. And, while I do tend to write strong female characters, I never set out to "correct" ancient myths but to reimagine them. I never set out to appropriate Greek culture but to connect with it. As Americans descended from immigrants, many of us don't have an ancient mythology of our own, so we look to our ancestors from other countries.
Here is my video response (I'd love to know what you think!):
My Underworld Saga was inspired by the movie Meet Joe Black, starring Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt in which Death wants a holiday. I wondered how the story would be different if based on Thanatos, the Greek embodiment of Death. My stories almost always start that way--with me wondering about something.
I made a lot of changes to the old stories when I wrote my own. I made Thanatos and Hypnos, along with the Furies, the children of Hades and Persephone. I did this to make Death younger, so he would make a better hero in a young adult novel. Interestingly, I did find an Orphic Hymn which referred to the Furies as the daughters of Persephone, so maybe my version isn't so far-fetched.
But I later took even greater liberties when I wrote The Vampires of Athens, in which I designate Dionysus as the lord of the vampires. In my series, vampires come into being after Dionysus creates the Maenads, who then return home to rip their spouses and children limb from limb, and the only thing that can save them is human blood.
Would Greeks find this offensive?
The vampire theme continues in my series Vampire and Gods, in which Prometheus captains a ship of young gods and demigods who join forces with vampire pirates who (ironically?) work to return the cultural artifacts stolen by oppressors to the oppressed.
Am I an oppressor who has stolen from the oppressed in writing that story?
After listening to Alexandra's video essay, I'm feeling nervous about the reception my newest Greek myth retellings will receive. I just released Athena, the first book in my Gods and Monsters Series. This book began with the question, "What if Athena was a virgin goddess because her heart was sworn to a deity she could not have? What if that deity were Prometheus? And what if after a tragic love story in ancient times, they were to find a happily-ever-after in modern times?"
Is there anything unethical about me writing that story?
I've already set up the second book, Hecate, for preorder. That book also began with a question: "What if Hecate and Demeter were madly in love, and that's why Hecate agrees to watch over Persephone for Demeter in the Underworld? And what if, later, Demeter's focus on Persephone strains her relationship with Hecate and changes it and breaks Hecate's heart? But, what if later in modern times, Demeter and Hecate get their happily-ever-after?"
Isn't it okay for me to wonder these things, to write about them, and to share my writings with others for entertainment? And, since it does take work to research and write and publish and market, if I make some money (which doesn't always happen), don't I deserve to?
What do you think?
April 4, 2024
Athena Teaser
Based on my research, I've discovered that no other book like this one--Athena: Gods and Monsters, Book One--exists. This is super exciting!
I can find no other novel that chronicles Athena's life in ancient and modern times.
And I can find no love story for her, either, probably because she was known as one of three virgin goddesses.
In writing Athena, I set out to stay true to the myths while giving Athena a love story that's tragic in ancient times but happy in modern times (eventually).
Here's the blurb:
Even the wise can be fools in love . . .
She grows up in the belly of her oppressive father, where she watches her mother build her armor and hatches plans for escape. Once freed, she becomes her father's favorite--a loyal subject, warrior, and advocate who stands by her father even when her favorite is sentenced for treason and chained to a rock, where his liver is eaten daily by Zeus's eagle. Then, her hopes for a reunion with Prometheus are crushed when he disappears, and years of searching prove futile. With a hardened heart, Athena becomes a powerful leader of the Olympians.
But when Prometheus returns from the shadows, her loyalties are challenged, her heart stirs with unquenchable passion, and her immortal life is forever changed.
Please enjoy this excerpt:
The armor would always be special to Athena. She wore a crested helmet, breastplate, and boots that reached her knees. She also had cuffs to protect her wrists and lower arms and a short girdle that gently flared from her waist. Each part of her armor displayed the same intricate design created by her mother of a central flower bordered by a chain-link trim. Made of bone, it was the color of ivory, and the designs were blood-red.
“It fits you perfectly and will increase or decrease in size as you do,” Metis said as she looked upon Athena with admiration.
“Thank you. I am pleased and will be forever grateful.”
“I wish I had a glass so you could see how stunning you appear.”
“I feel powerful in it.”
“You are powerful. Here, take your spear.”
Athena took the shaft and held it tightly in her fist. “My father lied to me. He will never set me free.”
“You will have to find a way out yourself.”
She embraced her mother. “Maybe you will follow me some day, if I can convince my father that you are not a threat.”
“Maybe.”
Athena held Metis tightly, torn between her need to be with her mother and her desire to be free.
“I’ll always be close to you,” her mother reassured her. “You must go.”
“Maybe I should stay a little longer.” As much as she longed to speak with Prometheus, she couldn’t tear herself away from her mother.
“That will only prolong my pain. I need you out there, living your life.”
Reluctantly, Athena flew from her mother to search for an opening. First, she tried to tunnel through her father’s ears, but he stuck his fingers in and blocked her exit. Next, she tried his nostrils, and he did the same. Then, she flew to his mouth and was about to stab his palette with her spear when he drank ale and washed her down his throat and back into his belly.
Although she dreaded it, she swam to his anus, but he pinched his buttocks together so tightly that she could not push her way through.
When she had left her mother’s womb, she’d had help, but her father’s resistance made a second birth seem impossible. Full of frustration, she jabbed her father’s innards with her spear. Although he doubled over, he bore it.
“Father!” she cried with her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched. “I will be free, one way or another!”
Then, she threw her spear with all her might up into his head, where it lodged into his brain.
Her father roared.
Athena raised her brows and met her mother’s smile with her own.
“Fly up and push the spear deeper,” her mother suggested.
After kissing her mother’s cheek once more, Athena rushed to her spear, gripped it with both hands, and drove it into her father’s brain.
His roars increased, and he flailed about, but Athena held her footing and kept the pressure on the spear.
Through her father’s eye sockets, she noticed gods and goddesses coming to her father’s aid. Apollo gave him a concoction to drink. Hestia brought him ice to apply to his scalp. And Hera massaged his temples with oil. But nothing worked, of course.
As Athena smiled to herself, she noticed Prometheus looking into her father’s eyes. Up close, his features were even more beautiful and intriguing. She held her breath and studied him, longing to speak with him, to touch him. Then, his mouth opened, and he stared back at her with surprise. Could he see her?
“Lord Zeus,” Prometheus said. “You have a daughter from Metis. The only way to end your torment is to set her free.” Prometheus turned to Hephaestus. “We need the sharpest axe you have.”
Athena’s heart raced. Would Prometheus liberate her?
A moment later, Prometheus put his face close to her father’s and, looking at her, said, “Stand back.”
Leaving the spear in place, Athena flew down to her father’s throat just as the blade of an axe split her father’s head in two. She glanced down at her mother who was smiling and waving with tears in her eyes. Athena blew her mother a kiss, grabbed her spear, and flew from her father’s head, where she hovered above the other gods. Like a wet dog, she shook her father’s blood from her skin, hair, and armor.
The great hall on Mount Olympus filled with gasps.
March 21, 2024
3 Ways to Level Up Your Reading Experience
I'm excited to introduce you to 3 ways to level up your reading experience--the operative word being "experience."
If you're like me, reading is a major part of your life, and although it's a solo activity, it jives well with your introverted tendencies. However, being part of a community--especially an online community that doesn't require you to leave the comfort of your reading chair and fur babies--sounds attractive.
FIRST WAY: BECOME A PREMIUM POHLER BEAR
How would you like to receive a package from me each month with specialized goodies--signed paperbacks, personal messages, bookmarks, stickers, mugs, apparel?
Every other month, members receive a paperback package that includes:
A signed paperback of their choice A code to download the ebook A personal tarot reading or message A bookmark A swaggish surprise
On the alternate months, they receive a special mug or apparel or journal or tote or some other merch from my store (and sometimes something exclusive you can't find anywhere else).
Additionally, they get an unlimited 15% off code to use anytime in the Eva Pohler Books store.
Also, all premium members are listed on an Acknowledgments page in my books from the time of joining. Talk about being immortalized!
Best of all, they receive digital ARCS (advanced reader copies) of books at least one week before release!
We also have zoom parties and book club discussions in the Pohler Bear Lounge on Facebook. I have other surprise bonuses in the works that I'll announce at a later date.
I currently have thirty-one Premium Pohler Bears and can handle another nine. If you'd like to join this community, claim your spot now. For U.S. residents, it's $25 per month or $250 for the year (the annual subscription is a better value if you can afford it up front). For international readers, it's $45 per month, or $450 for the year. You can join by genre (Fantasy or Mystery/Thriller), or you can join the all-genre membership. Learn how you can become a Premium Pohler Bear here.
If you join by the 15th of this month, you'll receive this month's package!
If anything arrives damaged, we replace it. Although we can't refund your membership, you can cancel your membership at anytime--though we know you won't want to! So far, everyone who has joined has been happy to be a member. The only people who have dropped out have done so because of financial reasons.
Which leads me to the second way you can level up . . .
SECOND WAY: JOIN EVA'S DIVAS
If you can't afford to be a Premium Member, or if by the time you want to join, the spots are all taken, there's another way to level up. You can join Eva's Divas.
Eva's Divas get one digital goodie from me each month (their choice of an ebook or audiobook from my store) and are entered into a drawing for a signed paperback of their choice.
Divas are also listed in a separate Acknowledgments page for books that release during a month they supported me.
The only thing it costs to be a Diva is your time.
Eva's Divas provide me with social media support. They don't have to have a following of their own. They only need to open accounts with Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, YouTube, and their choice of either Twitter or TikTok.
They need to follow my accounts and like, share, and comment on my posts--any post they choose, not specific posts. That's it!
To be eligible for their rewards, they must like, share, and comment once a week on five of my channels. That's really just one task a day, Monday through Friday. That takes less than a minute.
I currently have fourteen Divas signed up and can handle about eleven more, so if you'd like to join this month, you can hurry and get started by signing up here. You can also edit that form as often as you need to keep track of your weekly tasks. And you simply submit a new response for each month.
You can find links to all my social channels here.
You aren't obligated to participate every month to be a Diva. Just join in when you can. If you have a busy month, you can step back and then rejoin the next month, or the next.
Believe it or not, some of my Premium Pohler Bears have also opted to join Eva's Divas. YES! That's allowed!
However, if you're lacking in both time and money, there's a third way you can level up.
THIRD WAY: JOIN THE POHLER BEAR LOUNGE
The Pohler Bear Lounge is a private group on Facebook where I interact with readers almost daily--at least a few times a week, depending on my writing deadlines.
Here are some of the things we do in there:
Birthday Giveaway Each Month: On the first of the month, I create a Happy Birthday post and ask the readers born that month to comment for a chance to win an ebook or audiobook of their choice, along with a personal tarot reading (if they want it--not everyone is into tarot). Seasonal Giveaways: My annual seasonal giveaways include Countdown to Valentine's, Eight Days of Easter Egg Giveaways, July Fourth Giveaway, Fright and Delight Giveaway, 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways, and Countdown to New Year's Giveaway. First Look: The readers in the lounge always see everything first--cover reveals, teasers, sales, etc. Book Club: Week-long read-alongs and discussions in our Book Club Book Chat (Messenger). Polls: I go to the lounge for feedback on everything from cover choices to book setting. It's a chance for my readers to weigh in!
I cap the number of members in each community because right now I don't have the staff to accommodate more. One day, that may change, and then I might be able to open each membership up to more people. But, for now, it's 40 Premium Pohler Bears, 25 Eva's Divas, and 1200 Pohler Bears. So join now and level up your reading experience while we have open spots!
