Book Royalty

New York has long been considered capital of the literary world, but one of the greatest book influencers of all-time comes from the small, Texas town of Hawkins, catapulting unknown authors to bestseller stardom and leaving quite a windblown wake from all the pages turning so fast.

Sure, it helps a writer's career to be preceded by fame and have some nice connections, but there are also the stories of regular joes who made it to the big time on a twist of fate - writers like Amanda Hocking and John Locke of the eBook platform and mothers, J. K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer. My favorite is Colleen Hoover, a single mom and social worker from East Texas, who became an eBook millionaire in just a few months.

All of these prolific authors relied on reviews and word-of-mouth to send their sales soaring. The same remains true for all writers. It's the bread and butter of the industry. Every time my novels hit #1 on Amazon in category, it's been the direct result of a feature of ENT (eReading News Today). I'd like to talk about a book reviewer and influencer of epic proportions, a woman so important in the book world she's been featured on Oprah.

Kathy L. Murphy owns Beauty and the Book in Hawkins, Texas and founded the Pulpwood Queens Book Club in 2000. Since then, she's made history over and over again. Oprah, Diana Sawyer, and Good Morning America are just a few of the many heavy hitters who have covered the world's first and only beauty salon/ book store. Media darling, Kathy, launched her book club - Pulpwood Queens - from her salon, which now boasts 550+ chapters around the WORLD! Their mission is to "promote authors, books, literacy, and reading all while having some BIG TIME FUN!" 

Whatever she does, she does it big. Big book signings, big literacy events, big hair! Okay, I added that last one. Her influence and the club's popularity launch writers careers. She showcases writers and treats them like royalty. I haven't had the pleasure of getting picked up by Kathy and her crew yet, but a writer can always dream. In the meantime, I'm just grateful that there are people like Kathy in this world who are so willing to help little-known writers like me. 

I salute you, Kathy, and all the Pulpwood Queens and other influencers who pick the jewels from piles of rocks and put them on display for all to see. It's no wonder your tiaras are so stunningly adorned!