Is this a scam? > Likes and Comments

Hi, I'm an author. In fact, you can find my book on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Anyway, I received the following email offering to feature my book in the Around the Year in 52 Books reading challenge. Sadly, I've found becoming an author means getting absolutely inundated with scam emails. (Who knew?) I suspect this one is too.

I was just reaching out to see if someone could confirm my suspicions. Is this indeed bogus? Thanks.

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Hello Brian, 👋

My name is Maya Diego, and I work with the Around the Year in 52 Books reading community, a lively, discussion-driven group of readers who love exploring meaningful books throughout the year.

We’re currently hosting our 2026 Reading Challenge, which invites participants to engage with 52 thoughtfully themed books, one for each week of the year, while sharing insights, reflections, and reviews in our active community.

I came across your book, Vegas Concierge, and I believe it would deeply resonate with our readers. Its investigative approach, rich storytelling, and exploration of pressing social issues make it a perfect candidate for thoughtful discussion and long-term visibility.

Featuring your book in the challenge would allow readers to engage with it over time, generating ongoing conversations, reflections, and reviews that highlight your work to a committed audience.

If this sounds interesting, I’d love to share more details about how the challenge works and how we could feature Vegas Concierge in 2026.

I think so. We don’t really “feature” books here. There are monthly group reads chosen by vote according to a theme. I also don’t recognize the name as one of our mods but I could be wrong.

Brian, this is happening to other authors in different groups as well. You need to contact support to let them know, They won’t take anyone else’s word for it except the member who received the communication.

Also, I just double checked. The instruction from support was to use the Contact Us form.

Scam!
Who knew there was an income potential to modding,,, gmmm (kidding!!)

Thanks for these responses. You'd be shocked at the number of unsolicited emails I get weekly from people promising to get me numerous reviews or attention, with many of them apparently using the names of established book challenges or book groups.

I just got this too - and it seems to be froma wrikter who is active on Goodreads - or at least an authorhere, Hazel Taylor.
This was the email I got: Dear Lindsay,

I hope this message finds you in the midst of creating something extraordinary.

I’m Hazel Taylor, and I partner with the moderator of Around the Year in 52 Books a thriving literary community of 11,000+ engaged and active members who don’t just read… they discuss, analyze, and champion impactful books.

We are currently curating titles for the 2026 Goodreads Authors Challenge, a year-long reading journey running from January 1st through December 31st, 2026. This challenge is designed to spotlight powerful voices, generate meaningful traction, and foster authentic engagement around carefully selected books.

When a book is featured within our challenge, it becomes part of a focused, discussion-driven environment where readers actively post reviews, share reflections, and spark conversations on Goodreads. The visibility is consistent. The engagement is intentional. The impact is long-term.

In addition, at the end of the year, we recognize the Top 10 Outstanding Authors celebrating them within the group and giving their work distinguished acknowledgment across the community.

This is not simply a listing. It is an opportunity for sustained discovery, thoughtful reader interaction, and organic traction within a serious book-loving audience.

I would be honored to consider your book for inclusion.

Would you like me to feature your book in to the reading club challenge and help it gain long term visibility, engagement , discussion , focused - audience ?

Warmly,
Hazel Taylor

I AM a moderator for Around the Year in 52 Books and we never partner with anybody! Our number probably does say 11000 members but active is more like 300. Thanks for posting this, I'll share it with the Mods.

In that group, we have been getting spam posts daily where somebody starts a thread under one of our discussion sections, featuring a book and discussion questions. That's not the way we do it. The poster doesn't have the same name as the author. But when I check, that person/bot has only the featured book and has just joined and posted the same comment in many groups. They always have a very ordinary name. There is a photo but I'm quite sure it's AI. I immediately delete the message and remove the person but it's a sort of Whack-a-Mole. The other option would be to make all new members be approved by Mods and we haven't ever done that.

I got a similar email but from "Jasmine":

My name is Jasmine, and I’m reaching out on behalf of the Around the Year in 52 Books reading community, a vibrant and discussion-driven group of passionate readers who enjoy discovering intriguing, memorable, and conversation-worthy books.

Throughout 2026, our community is hosting the 2026 Reading Challenge, running from January 1 through December 31. The challenge encourages readers to explore diverse titles across genres while sharing reflections, reactions, and discussions about the books they read. The emphasis isn’t simply on finishing books, but on meaningful engagement and sustained conversations among readers who love diving deeper into stories.

I recently came across your novel featuring cryptozoologist Morgan Carter, and the premise immediately stood out. A mysterious death along a quiet Wisconsin country road, eerie rumors surrounding the legendary Beast of Bray Road, and the tension between folklore and reality create the kind of atmospheric mystery that readers love to analyze and discuss together. The blend of investigative suspense, local legend, and cryptozoology gives the story a unique edge that often sparks curiosity and speculation among mystery readers.

Books that weave together folklore, suspense, and investigative storytelling tend to generate especially lively conversations in our community. Readers often enjoy exploring the possibilities behind the legend, debating clues, and sharing their own thoughts about whether the truth behind the mystery lies in myth, science, or something far more human.

Your writing career is also something many readers find fascinating. As the USA Today bestselling author behind multiple successful mystery series, including the Monster Hunter Mysteries, the Mattie Winston Mysteries, and the Helping Hands Mysteries, you’ve built a reputation for crafting engaging stories that balance suspense, character, and intrigue. Many readers are also intrigued to learn that Annelise Ryan is a pseudonym for Beth Amos, whose background as an emergency room RN and experience writing thrillers adds a compelling real-world perspective to your storytelling.

One aspect authors often appreciate about participating in the 2026 Reading Challenge is the long-term visibility it naturally creates. Rather than a brief promotional moment, featured books receive steady attention throughout the year as readers post updates, share reactions, and engage in discussion threads. This kind of organic interaction often leads to deeper reader discovery and genuine word-of-mouth interest.
As the challenge progresses, our community also highlights ten standout authors whose books spark particularly strong reader engagement, recognizing titles that generate thoughtful discussion and repeated recommendations among members.

Because your work blends suspenseful mystery with fascinating folklore and investigative storytelling, I truly believe it would resonate strongly with many of our readers.

If you’d be open to it, I’d love to explore featuring your book within the challenge. Participation is simple, and I would be happy to share the details with you.
Warm regards,

Jasmine