5 ways to help an author you like

1. Obvious, but, buy their book. Every time a book is purchased, the author gets a bit of money - either a small percentage if it's traditionally published, or 35% or 70% if it's indie published digitally. Those dollars and cents buy valuable things for the author, like soap. No one likes a dirty author.
2. Tell other people about the book. Thanks to social media, you can post that you are reading the book, have read the book, and even include a link to purchase. If you are friends with, or follow, the author, you can include their name so they know about it, too. Every time you tweet or post about a book you love, an author takes one less hit of the hooch.
3. Post a review on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads and the iBookstore. (One or as many as your kind heart feels willing.) Natch, I'm talking a good review, 3 stars or better. Say what you liked or loved about the book without giving away any spoilers. Each good review feels like getting asked to the prom by the hot girl or guy we've been crushing on all semester.
4. Send an e-mail or note to the author letting them know how much you liked the book. Sometimes a book (and its message) come at a perfect time in our lives and changes us for the better. An author wants that personal feedback. It helps store positive juju for writing the next one.
5. Seek out the authors other books. With so many books to choose from, and new ones coming out each week, it can be difficult to keep up with authors you like, so signing up for their newsletter, their RSS feed on their blog or keeping up with them on social media will keep you in the know when their future works come out. If you borrowed the book from the library or a friend, seeking out other books by them is a great way of starting this top 5 all over again. Good things come to those who read!
On behalf of all authors everywhere, THANK YOU for reading and supporting our literary endeavors. Wishing you lit love!
What's new - what's next?
Fixer Upper and Life's a Beach are both $2.99 at Amazon and other digital retailers. Life's a Beach will be available on the nook and iBookstore soon. If you'd like a print book, Dating da Vinci is still available in that format, so you may purchase it online. Sleigh Ride, a winter anthology with other women fiction authors, will debut in November. My first non-fiction book, The Little Brand That Could, will also be out this fall, kicking off a series of Little Brand Books to help business owners grow their brands.