A READER WRITES ABOUT SUPPORTING AUTHORS Betty Koval

A READER WRITES ABOUT SUPPORTING AUTHORS Betty Koval

I am hardly qualified, as are my many author “COUSINS” of the Pulpwood Queen family, to put adequate words on paper. Nor can I eloquently voice what I have to share other than to just speak from my heart. So here goes ----- SUPPORT YOUR AUTHORS! Buy the books they write, attend their book signings EVERY chance you get and invite them to your homes via ZOOM or as I have done, in person! Share these lovely creative and talented people with your friends. We are one big family of readers. I try to and often take as many friends as I can fit in my SUV with me to a book signing. I have a rule – they must buy at least one book – any of the author’s books will do but preferably the latest. If someone goes with me and does NOT support my author “Cousin” well quite frankly, that is grounds for no future invitation. These authors take months and sometimes years of their lives of research, developing accurate timelines of historical events, making the story interesting and worthy of our time. They develop an idea into plain enjoyable reading for us to enjoy. This is no easy task; I have tried, and I just cannot pull it all together. Therefore, I applaud and support those who have such a talent. It is work! It may look like it is easy. I have been told those who do something well make it look easy. I now know many such talented authors. I love and appreciate them. I do my best to show them by leaving a review in as many places as I can. I often gift their books to friends. THANK YOU, my AUTHOR COUSINS, for birthing your books! My life is much richer for having read and to have met many of the authors I now read. I cannot even begin to quantify the value - it is too astronomical. These ladies and gentlemen I feel as close if not closer than some of my family members. Not all people enjoy reading as I do, and several are family members. It’s amazing to me to begin talking about a book and the other person has this look like they have no idea of what I am speaking. As a child, teen, and adult I often dreamed of meeting the person who authored the books I enjoyed. Now, with technology available, we are so lucky to be able to connect and find out that story behind the story! I always wanted to know why and how a story came to be. I have been called “The Question Queen” on occasion. Yes, I have always been inquisitive to the point my mom used to say, “curiosity killed the cat” and I told her I was not a cat. I just wanted to know things – many and all sorts of things! And I still do! A book to me, is a good friend I can go to when I need respite from this crazy thing, we call life. I can steal away to places, times, and events I would and will never be able to go to in my lifetime. Just think about it, I can revisit the horrible concentration camps and not have to endure the horrible conditions. Yet, it has made me much more compassionate for those who survived and lived to tell their stories. I can read another woman’s story and learn from her experiences. I have always learned from every book I have read. It may be a little fact about eider down used for warmth in jackets or quilts, but it was something I did not know before. I may learn how to make a lean-to for survival

if I found myself caught in the elements. That could be useful – who knows? When a person reads you learn whether you mean to or not. The authors are why we learn these tidbits and facts. Just think of how much they learn to only put part of their knowledge into a storyline? AMAZING!!! We have at least nine bookshelves in our home – every room - with the exception of the bath. These shelves are crammed full of books! No room is complete without a book – or two or three or four or more! I want to be able to lay my hand on a book anywhere in my home. I do not have a TBR stack. I have a TBR bookshelf, well, there are two now. I may never get to finish them all, but they are there when I want to pick one out and read it. Thank goodness my husband Bill feels the same way I do. He too, is an avid reader and supporter of the Pulpwood Queens. He has enjoyed meeting so many of my author “cousins’ and has me take photos on his phone of him and all the ladies which he shows to lots of people. He tells people about the Girlfriend Weekend and tells them they should go at least once. When we travel, we make it a point to stop in a local bookstore. I felt the need to write this to let all you authors know how much you are appreciated, and I will always try my hardest to be your CHAMPION. I am in AWE of each of you. It is just overwhelming to me because I have no talent to develop an idea into a story with plot lines and historical facts – just keeping it all straight blows my feeble mind. I LOVE YOU and I will support you all I can if I have a breath to speak or the ability to put the adequate words in cyber space to tout your works. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU sincerely. Now everyone, keep buying those books and inviting these authors to speak to your groups and please most of all GO TO THE BOOK SIGNINGS and take your friends! Love, “COUSIN” Betty Koval

This is just a sample of the books Cousin Betty has in her home… :)