SIMPLY WAIT: THANK YOU! from Patry Francis

I just received this email from Karen Dionne of Backspace and one of the wonderful people who helped organize THE LIAR'S DIARY BLOG DAY on Tuesday, Jan. 29.

"In the end, very nearly 400 bloggers helped move her novel from a ranking of 55,000 on amazon at the start of the day, to #1 in Mystery, 375 overall by evening. Those statistics prove the day was a success, but we knew it would be even before the day began because we could see the groundswell of support, feel the sense of community.

Canada's National Post did a story about our effort on the 29th, and the next day, told us it was their third most-read online article EVER. We're hoping that others in the print media will now come on board. What took place was a remarkable demonstration of the power of the Internet community, and deserves to be told. And of course, we hope Patry's sales continue to soar, and more important, that her recovery goes smoothly."

And don't forget to read Patry's thank you on her blog, SIMPLY WAIT: THANK YOU!

Today is LIAR'S DIARY Blog Day - Want to Help?

Well, today is the day when the stars of the blogosphere shine on Patry Francis and hopefully we will either make blog history as one of the greatest promotional efforts in publishing history or it will be just another Tuesday.

But none of that is important because no matter what happens it is a special day, a day when fellow writers, fellow human beings unselfishly gave some of their time and resources to help someone greatly in need of support.

Today is THE LIAR’S DIARY blog day when more than 300 bloggers all over the country mention Patry Francis and the release of the paperback version of her debut murder mystery novel, THE LIAR’S DIARY.

We are also encouraging you to buy a copy in support of Patry, in support of life and of all the people who have suffered or are suffering with cancer.

Patry Francis was diagnosed with rapidly-spreading cancer a few months ago and does not have the energy to promote the release of her book after several surgeries. So fellow writers, authors, agents, publishers and publishing professionals have banded together to help Patry promote her book on the blogosphere today.

I know Patry only through emails, but from our short communications I found that she is an amazing and talented person. Here is what she wrote three weeks after she was diagnosed with cancer:

“One thing I learned was that for every ounce of trouble I was forced to drink, I would counter it with two ounces of bliss. Not the cheap bliss I attempted to find in a wine bottle, but the real thing. The kind I saw in that thin shell when I held it up to the light. The kind we all have inside us if we choose to draw on it.

I really think this is where we so often go wrong. When bad things happen--whether it's disease, rejection, mistreatment, perceived or otherwise - we allow it to control us. In other words, we pour ourselves another glass of poison when what we really need is the antidote - a double shot of BLISS.”

You can read the rest of her story of hope on her blog, Simply Wait.

You can also help by buying a copy of THE LIAR’S DIARY at Amazon or at your favorite bookstore. It’s a great read.

Here’s the synopsis:

How far would you go to protect your family? To protect your children? How many lies would you tell? Would you dare to admit the darkest truths - even to yourself?

Jeanne Cross is an ordinary suburban wife and mother with a seemingly "perfect" life when Ali Mather arrives on the scene, breaking all the rules and breaking hearts. Almost against her will, Jeanne is drawn to this powerfully seductive woman, a fascination that soon begins to infect Jeanne's husband as well as their teenage son. Though their friendship seems unlikely and even dangerous to their mutual acquaintances, Ali and Jeanne are connected by deep emotional needs, vulnerabilities, and long-held secrets that Ali has been privately recording in her diary.

The diary also holds the key to something darker. Though she can't prove it, Ali is convinced someone has been entering her house when she is not at home - and not with the usual intentions. What this burglar wants is nothing less than a piece of Ali's soul.

If you are not convinced this book is a page turner, take a look at some of the five-star reviews on Barnes and Noble and the cool book trailer on Powell's Books.

In case you didn't know Patry Francis, here is a brief bio from her publisher:

Patry Francis is a three-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize whose work has appeared in the Tampa Review, Colorado Review, Ontario Review, and the American Poetry Review. She is also the author of the popular blogs, simplywait.blogspot.com and waitresspoems.blogspot.com. This is her first novel.

One last thing, if you have a story of hope or just want to say a few kind words, please feel free to post them here for Patry and others like her. She would like that.

Don't forget to check Susan Henderson's blog, Lit Park, and to see the special gift Patry's husband Ted gave her.

And if you want to know how this great effort started and who are some of the participants check out my earlier post, "Have a Blog? Want to Help a Fellow Author".

Have a Blog? Want to Help a Fellow Author?

If you have a blog and would like to help fellow writer Patry Francis fulfill a lifelong dream, please help us support her by mentioning her in your blog and encouraging readers to buy her book, THE LIAR'S DIARY on January 29^th.

Patry was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in November and does not have the energy to promote the launch of the paperback version of her book on January 29th.

You can preorder her book from Amazon.com right now or buy it from your favorite bookstore on the 29^th. I've already ordered mine from Amazon.

I know Patry Francis only through emails, but she is a wonderful, warm, and sincere person. You can read an interview I did with her on her writing at the Backspace website.

I also included this blog post reprinted here with permission from Backspace, the Writer's Place.

Patry Francis is a talented author and lovely person whose debut suspense novel THE LIAR'S DIARY came out last spring in hardcover from Dutton. The trade paper release is January 29^th, but a few weeks ago, Patry was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. She's had several surgeries, and her prognosis is good, but given that Patry won't have much energy for promoting, a number of bloggers are banding together to do it for her.

"THE LIAR'S DIARY Blog Day" is going to be held January 29^th. Folks who wish to participate are asked to mention the book on their blog that day and link to Patry's website (www.patryfrancis.com) and the book's purchase page on Amazon. You can do a liars themed blog, review the book, sponsor a contest, or anything else you think might help Patry get some much-deserved notice. Bloggers are also asked to
encourage their readers to buy one/buy one for a friend between January 29^th and Feb 1.

Brilliance audio is putting together a special audio clip that bloggers can use, and Circle of Seven productions is making a "cover story" promo video, which will also be available to bloggers. And Susan Henderson, of LitPark, says if you like, you can come to her blog on the 29^th and copy what she writes.

Just to give you a very small idea of what you'll see on the 29^th, here are the folks who have already stepped forward to help: Laura Benedict, who came up with the idea. Patry's editor at Dutton, Julie Doughty. Her agent at the Jean Naggar Literary Agency, Alice Tasman.
Her publicist, Laurie Connors, Eileen Hutton at Brilliance Audio, Jessica Brilliant Keener, The brilliant Susan Henderson, Tish Cohen, Dan Conaway from Writers House, Sheila Clover English, CEO of Circle of Seven Productions, Jeff Kleinman at Folio Literary Management, Robin Slick from In Her Own Write, Ellen Meister, Bella Stander, M.J. Rose, Robin Grantham, Kamela Cody of ModernGirlStyle.com, Kathryn Esplin at Gather.com, Clair Lamb at her Answer Girl blog, Sarah Weinman at Confessions of An Idiosyncratic Mind, Hank Ryan from JungleRedWriters, Sisters In Crime, Raven Bower, CJ Lyons, Jordan Dane, Murderati, Jen Jordan at Crimespree, Richard Lewis, Gail Baker and The Debutante Ball, Eileen Cook, Kelli Stanley, Davi Thayer, Amy Nathan, Karin Gillespie, Melanie Lynn Hauser, Amy MacKinnon, Anthony S. Policastro, Carolyn Burns Bass. And you, too, right?

A list of bloggers who plan to participate will be sent to Patry's publisher in a few days. If you'd like to be included, please send your name, the name of your blog, and how many hits per day/week/month your blog gets (if you have those stats, and if you're comfortable sharing them) to me, Karen Dionne, as soon as possible. (karendionne@bksp.org) Patry's publisher is aware of our efforts, and excited about the prospect of working with us to make this blog day a success.

Meanwhile, you can read Patry's unsentimental and inspiring account of how she's dealing with this setback onher own blog, "Simply Wait."

Equally inspiring is watching the writing community rally around one of their own. Our cumulative efforts can make a difference! Feel free to copy this post and share it around to help spread the word, and on behalf of Patry, THANKS.