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I'm planning to attend an author book launch party this week for the novel Fireworks over Toccoa by debut author Jeffrey Stepakoff. Then I have another launch on my schedule for Susan Rebecca White's second novel A Soft Place to Land in a couple of weeks. And then there was the event for my good friend author Wendy Wax and her book Magnolia Wednesdays a couple of weeks ago. All this launching got me thinking.

Why aren't authors more like rock stars?

What I mean is we love, love, love their books. We have our favorites that we buy the minute they write something new. We invite these people into our bedrooms and let them see us in our pajamas and we laugh and cry over their work. And yet, sometimes I go to an author event and there are only a handful of people there. And I'm not talking only debut authors or lesser known authors. Some times even the big names have an event that is less than full. It's weird. And it's no fun for them.

So I say - it's our duty as readers to get out there and support our rock stars! I'm sure there a lots of reasons we don't go to these events. Too busy, gotta get the kids to soccer, need to watch Dancing with the Stars, etc. But I'm thinking the main reason we don't go is we don't even know these events are happening. Unfortunately there's not one resource that I know where you can go and subscribe to get updates. But here's a few things that might help.

1. Get on the email list with BookTour - http://www.booktour.com/
2. Get on the email list or regularly check in with your favorite publishers - they almost all have a page specific for author events. Here's a few to get you started: HarperCollins, Penguin, Hachette
3. Or find your favorite authors websites and Facebook pages and fan up! The authors I know go to a lot of trouble to have all this online stuff and would love to have you stop by for a visit and get on their list. Just for giggles, here are the three authors I mentioned above: Jeffrey Stepakoff, Susan Rebecca White and Wendy Wax.
   
4. Go to IndieBound and find the independent bookseller nearest to you and then get on their email list.
5. And of course, check your local big box stores. They have events listings too: Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc.

The bottom line is if we want to keep getting great books from our favorite authors and the up and comers, we have to support them. So grab your book club girls, put on your leather pants, get out there, have a free glass of wine in a plastic cup and hold your Bic lighter high. Authors our are rock stars!

-- Dana Barrett, Contributing Editor