Tis Estrada Bday Week

Some people might think that when you turn 40 it’s all downhill from there… and you know what? I hope so! Seriously! Have you ever been on a bike or skates and found yourself going down some gnarly hill? It is one of the most fun things you can enjoy while risking bodily harm.  

That said, As I begin Level 40, chapter 40, Part 4, or whatever you’d like to call it, plans for slowing down are nowhere in sight and I have a ton of things on the radar that I want to do as I embrace the opportunity every day to have a good time and have a positive impact. Will life happen? Yes. Does that include times that suck? Of course. 

 

But.

 

We.

 

Can.

 

Have.

 

Fun!

 

So today I’m starting the party so to speak and you are invited to join me. When it comes to indie authors, there are countless things that bring us joy, but if you’re a fellow author, a book lover, or just someone who wants to send me good vibes, there are several ways you can do it. Below is a wish list and any help you can offer is more than welcome:

 

1. Get yerself some books. If there’s ever been an opportunity to catch up on your reading, now is the time. If you need something for a Latinx, middle-grade, urban fantasy, poetry, Caribbean, or kooky readathon, I’ve got 16 books out. Now not all of them are available in eBook form but all of them are available and would love to cuddle up with you in bed. Grab a copy or gift one on Amazon.

 

2. Reviews are life. If you’ve read me for any period of time, you know I’ve talked about this a plenty and that’s for two reasons, real book reviews are hard to come by and I will never go about the easy, disingenuous way of getting a review, i.e. read pro quo, buying reviews, or doing fake reviews. I don’t have hundreds of reviews, but all the ones I have are people who were kind enough not only to buy a book AND read it, but they went the extra marathon and offered a review. If by any chance we hit 50 reviews on any of my titles by the end of the month, I’ll do a giveaway including ALL my eBooks, a $25 gift card from Three Furies Press, and raffle 3 writing sessions where we will talk over your current WIP to give your book, story, or poetry collection idea form, direction, and hopefully get it closer to publishing. This is welcome to people of all ages and in either English or Spanish (as long as you have your parent's permission).

 

3. Join in on the antics. I do plenty of random things online and try to make it worth your time whether it’s something I design, write, film, or record. I have several social media platforms and don’t intend on getting more, SO, if you enjoy the antics of your favorite banana secret agent indie author, then by all means, help me hit some social media milestones by either following or inviting some people to my different social media platforms. But as with everything, for every milestone we hit, we’ll do something fun or help others. 

 

3-A. Facebook – We’re at 886…. Let’s get to 900. It’s a small goal but still a cool one. Would I love 1K? Of course, but I’m not greedy and I am a firm believer that slow and steady wins the race. Besides, with all the toxic BS they post there, I think it’d be nice to share more smile inducing stuff. If we get to this milestone, I’ll do 10 live reads on Facebook live.  

 

3-B. Twitter – We’re at 6,791 followers. Let’s get to 6,825. Why that number? Because metrics on Twitter are as insane as its uncooperative algorithm (or at least uncooperative for those who don’t know how to play the game, i.e. moi). By this I mean that the numbers go up and down. If we hit 6,825, I’ll donate $100 to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. It's a time to pull together and help each other out. 

 

3-C. Instagram – Currently at 1,773. A cool 1,800 sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it? Come on, let’s do it for the gram. I’ll donate $100 to the EB Research Partnership, the largest nonprofit funding research aimed at treating and ultimately curing Epidermolysis Bullosa, a group of devastating and life-threatening skin disorders that affect children from birth. I follow several people on social media who face this challenge head on and if a small contribution can help and also bring awareness, why not?

 

3-D. YouTube – YouTube is a weird creature and for some reason, numbers go up and down and when I post, I lose subscribers. I still want to take this to the next level and if we get over the 600 mark, then I’ll do an Estrada Book event where I’ll take a Q&A, do some readings, and play some live songs.

MORE ways to join in the festivi-teas :) 

4. Make a donation and say cheers to someone you love. If you want to show love and support for me, make a donation to a reputable charity in name of Mom and share on social media using the hashtag #CheersMamaEstrada. 

5. If you know a book club that would like some free eBooks, please let me know. I would be honored to be part of a book club whether with my non-fiction work, my poetry, my middle-grade fiction, or my urban fantasy novels. 

6. Help me get into a library. This has been a goal for a long time and I've come up short 3 times, but hey, fourth times the charm, right? I've tried the steps, I've sent books, and I appreciate the info, but I need help getting into a library. It could be at your school, your local library, etc. Whatever if takes, just help me get inside a library. Pretty please with bananas on top?

And I'm sure we can do more stuff during the week, so stay tuned for random shenanigans. 

 

The first 40 have been pretty curious and I can’t wait to see what the second 40 have in store. As always, thanks for the love, the kindness, the shares, the interest, the smiles, the laughs, for thinking about me when you see socks, tea, or bananas, and for always sharing Peace, Love, and Maki Rolls.