Celebrate 2 Months for Authors with 3 HUGE Themes… It’s Authors Supporting Authors time.

Celebrate 2 Months for Authors with 3 HUGE Themes …

National Reading Month

Women’s History Month

Drop Everything and Read Month

Hello everyone. First, let’s start with a Guest post from author Mara Purl … Think of today as Authors Support Authors.

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First, my thanks to my dear friend and colleague Judith Briles. There is simply no one like her! We continue to enjoy working together on many projects as we have done over the years.

We were talking about the months of March and April. Books celebrate two things close to author Mara Purl and my hearts—reading and history. March is National Reading Month and Women’s History Month. April is Drop Everything and Read Month. We had some thoughts as these celebrations wrap for the year.

Women can be backbiters. No one knows this better than Judith, who literally wrote the books on the subject. Her best-sellers Woman to Woman: From Sabotage to Support and Stabotage: How to Deal with the Pit Bulls, Snakes, Scorpions & Slugs in the Healthcare Workplace created breakthroughs all over the country as she was a national speaker for thousands in all 50 states and 20 countries.

In our own field of publishing, we’ve noticed authors tend to embrace one of two paradigms: competition, or synergy. Speaking for myself, I belong to the latter. And to celebrate both books and women’s history, I wanted to share a very special experience that unfolded this month.

My genre is Women’s Fiction/ Romance. And yes, it has its competitive members. But it’s also a rich genre populated by masters and wise women who believe in mentoring and inclusion. The books we write lay bare—sometimes literally—the lives of women, and this demands honesty and authenticity. Our novels—often read under the covers—have an intimacy only found in the girlfriend talks that are either just plain fun, or absolutely lifesaving.

Thing is, as I say at every book signing, I can’t write as fast as my readers read. But I want those readers to keep reading, so I send them to colleagues whose works I trust and admire. This has opened pathways to a core group of like-minded authors. One of the “big deal” authors in this august group is Sherryl Woods, whom you may recognize for having penned “Chesapeake Shores” and “Sweet Magnolias.” We were introduced and I invited her onto my YouTube show “Novel Conversations.”

Sherryl was a delight, wildly accomplished, and uncannily on the same page. She reciprocated with an invitation to do a live Facebook with her on Writerspace, the preeminent platform for our genre. 

She followed up by placing links to our two successful broadcasts on her home page. I had the almost out-of-body experience of seeing my own name and likeness on HER website, SherrylWoods.com

This is the kind of generosity that …

• makes a difference in a fellow author’s career; 

• attracts engagement and joy from readers; and

• demonstrates the true history of women when they honor and acknowledge one another.

I call that a High Five.

Mara

From Judith … Mara’s latest publication is available at Amazon: Milford-Haven Novels Boxed Set.

Mara was kind enough to mention two on my ground breaking, bestselling, award winning (Woman to Woman earned the Chicago Tribune’s Business Book of the Year! In 1987), and definitely controversial books. Those sealed my status as a million mile flyer within a few years of publication.

I was a DIYer as I started my author walk … there wasn’t the collaboration and support that I see openly today … that Mara reveals in her experience. And it thrills me. It’s one of the missing ingredients that fueled my author advocacy and support for other authors … and definitely the ones that I love to do shout outs for.

And before I leave, let me add my personal book website, JudithBrilesBooks.com. Besides Barnes & Noble bookstores, this is where you will find my latest books—publishing, historical fiction, and cookbooks—yes, there will be another cookbook this summer—Appetizers with Judith.

March and April are fabulous months in so many ways for and to authors. Colors showing their heads in gardens to come ... and a personal favorite of mine—next month it's Drop Everything and Read Month! Meaning you now can open up a book and fall in ... go for it. Devour a story as it unfolds in fiction. Embrace the ahas and insights that nonfiction delivers.

If you are not a follower of Mara’s website, check it out. Her monthly newsletter is excellent: MaraPurl.com

Thank you Mara for seeding this blog. It’s Authors Supporting Authors … I call that two High Fives!

Dr. Judith Briles is the award-winning and bestselling author of 48 books and calls Colorado home. When she’s not in the kitchen or in the garden, she’s working with clients as The Book Shepherd, a book and publishing consulting and project management firm that works with authors at all stages of their book to create and publish a book they never regret! She’s the founder of the first Authors’ Hall of Fame exclusively dedicated to ensuring the legacy of authors connected in some way with Colorado.

Judith’s books have been translated into 17 countries with over 1,000,000 copies sold! They have been featured in over 2,000 radio and TV shows including repeat appearances on CNN, CNBC, and Oprah. She has worked with over 1,500 authors and created 500 plus bestsellers. Print publications include Newsweek, People, Time, The Wall Street Journal and … The National Enquirer! Her popular podcast, AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing is dedicated to authors and writers and their success and is ranked in the top ten in four categories on GoodPods.

©2026 Judith Briles – The Book Shepherd™ All Rights Reserved.