Waverly flies to Dane County in September
Summer 2024 reflections and fall book talk save the dates
Hello Friends!
I’m so excited that “Waverly Braves the Breeze: The Story of a Galapagos Albatross” will be making several stops throughout Dane County, WI this month! Save the dates for the following events and learn more below.
Tuesday, Sept. 10: Picnic with an Author in Verona
Saturday, Sept. 21: Mental Health & Wellness Fall Festival in Mount Horeb
Monday, Sept. 23: Book Talk & Q/A in Cottage Grove
I’ll have copies for sale at each event that I can personalize just for you! Signed copies will be $20 each (exact cash, check, or Venmo preferred).
Already have a copy? Thank you!! If you feel so inclined, I'd love it if you could leave a review on Goodreads and/or Amazon to help more people learn about the book and Waverly's message of bravery, friendship, and conservation.
A sincere thank you to fellow Wisconsin author Christine DeSmet for your recent review of Waverly. Positive reviews like these can boost sales by 20% and help more people see the book online. I appreciate your help in spreading the word!
Several of you have reached out if I am open to doing school or library book talks, and the answer is a resounding yes! Please reach out to me via email or phone so we can talk ideas, dates, and budgets!
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement!
Samantha Cora
Waverly visits Green & Healthy Schools events
I had the opportunity to attend a portion of the 2nd Annual Madison Area Green & Healthy Schools Summit on Aug. 7th and the 8th Annual Green & Healthy Schools Conference in Milwaukee on Aug. 21st to share Waverly’s story and my organization Playful Acorns. A sincere thank you to the Madison Summit planning team and the SCBWI-Wisconsin chapter for inviting me to join them! Although I wasn’t able to attend many of the sessions those days, the ones I dropped into were so inspiring and reminded me how important grassroots advocacy efforts are in our communities!
Thank you for coming to Watertown!
Wow, friends and family! You really made my day on July 27th during my most attended book talk event (so far) at Literatus & Co in Watertown, WI. A giant thank you to my mom, Carol, for bringing Z along (even though that meant missing most of the event when she wanted to play), my dear friends who drove all the way from Milwaukee and Stoughton, my aunts Judy and Janet for coming and bringing along some of their friends, and several other familiar faces from my hometown. I just called the bookstore today, and they still have 3 signed copies left in the store if you’d like to purchase directly from them!
Wishing you a brave start to the school year!
This was the first week of school for many local districts. Welcome back, students and teachers! And sending all my best to fellow parents out there!
When I visited the elementary school in my hometown this spring for a "Waverly Braves the Breeze" book talk, I asked the kids to write and/or draw about a time when they felt brave. Many of them shared that they felt scared AND brave when it was their "first time" going to school, riding on a rollercoaster, getting up on stage, or playing a new sport. I loved hearing the pride in their voices when they worked up the courage to raise their hand and tell the whole class.
In case you missed it, these visits to Lebanon, WI and my book were covered by the Watertown Daily Times in this article on May 23, 2024, “Former WDT photographer pens children’s book.”
I’d been reading more books about worry and bravery to my daughter as we approached a big transition this month — saying goodbye to old friends at daycare and hello to new ones at preschool. Our routine has shifted, and her morning environment changed, too. I want to remind her that it’s okay to have anxious thoughts, and I also want her to know she is brave even when she feels otherwise. Yes, Waverly’s story touches on both of these themes, and it’s also interesting to read how other books show this through words and illustrations. Here are two that we enjoyed at bedtime recently. And of course I love the bird and wave metaphors.
“When You Are Brave” by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
“The Big Feelings Book for Children” by Sharon Selby, MA
Would you like to share a time that you felt brave? Share a photo with your drawing and tag me on Instagram or Facebook at @author.samanthacora.
Join me and Waverly in Dane County this month!
11 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, Sept. 10: I’m excited to join Dane County Parks and other local authors for a special family friendly picnic lunch at Badger Prairie County Park in Verona. Bring a blanket or chair to sit on and a lunch from home. After the book reading and Q&A, there will be special activities related to the story. Free for all ages! Books will be available for purchase. The Verona Public Library will lead a song and Dane County Parks will lead a craft after my “Waverly Braves the Breeze” storytime.
11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21: I’ll be exhibiting at the Mental Health & Wellness Fall Festival at Tyrol Basin in Mount Horeb and sharing information about Playful Acorns, which connect kids (ages 0-5+) and their caregivers with each other, nature, and the Dane County community through collaborative enrichment activities and local resources, as well as selling my book, which explores mental health and conservation themes! Great resources and activities for all ages, benefitting the CEDAR Center.
10-11 a.m., Monday, Sept. 23: Students in the Monona Grove School District have a no-school day, so I have been invited to host a Book Talk & Q/A at Taylor Prairie School Library with the Village of Cottage Grove Library Board Programming. Signed books will be available for purchase! Free and open to the public.
Thank you for the support! Please follow along for more @author.samanthacora on Facebook and Instagram and encourage your friends to do the same!