I have two very close friends I write with. Together, we are The Three Musketeers, complete with banter, wordplay and plans to take over the world that would probably scare you if we shared them in a public capacity. We bounce ideas off one another, share our work as we write it, giggle and snort a lot, watch Monday night TV together on Tuesdays, and offer support in all the best ways possible. I don’t know how I’d get through most of my first draft foibles and tantrum flails, much less the rest of every day, without these two ladies, and I feel so very lucky every day they are a part of my life.

Besides having an incredible support system, which is a given as far as best thing ever goes, the sharing of ideas between us is a virtual godsend. Last month, one of my fellow musketeers shared the link to Adagio Teas and urged us to make blends for the books we were working on. Sound the Siren, Mr. Pounce and Calming the Storm teas were all born that weekend, orders for delicious reading tea were placed and I now have some super sweet swag to give away to my readers during pre-order stages.

I guest hosted on another friend’s Facebook Launch Party at the beginning of the month for her flipped fairy tale, Shadows on Snow, and had instant swag to give away to her readers beyond copies of my books. Readers love swag, almost as much as they love the books the swag comes with. The best part about that, other than making a few new friends and picking up a few new readers was that I would never have come up with the idea without the help of my friends.

I’m trying some new things on the promotional front with Siren, which means stretching outside my comfort zone. I would not be able to stretch so far without a good support system. I’m working to expand my reading audience before launch day with a few pre-order incentives. This morning I launched my first pre-order promotion giveaway on my site. Every Wednesday for the next four weeks I will be giving away a collection of Siren-inspired tea samplers with adorable, original artwork (created by my fellow Musketeer, who is an incredible artist, btw,) adorning the tins. If you happened to pre-order, you are eligible to enter this giveaway and can find details over on my website: Siren Pre-Order Giveaway!

They say writing is a solitary experience, and for the most part I think they’re right. You have to go deep inside your head, get lost among the reeds there while leaving trails of breadcrumbs for your imaginary friends so they follow you back to the page. But I will say this: having friends who get me, who understand what I’m going through, who bolster me, support me and lend their creative genius to my efforts… it really is the best thing there is.

So here’s a toast to my gals!  All for one, one for all!

Tell me about your support system in the comments section below. I’d love to hear all about them.