Amy Byrnes, Teicia Gaupp and Cristie Ritz King are the special guests on Thursday, as River Road Books hosts the women of Jersey Moms Blog.
Here’s what might just be a first for River Road Books, the resolutely indie bookstore that’s regularly welcomed in-person appearances by a hard-copy host of authors in the mystery, history, young adult, self-help, romance and children’s genres.
This Thursday evening, October 23, the local propagators of the printed page host a trio of writers — none of whom apparently have a printed book to promote. In fact, these three women have made their names as bloggers, that peculiar subculture of humanity that some dead-tree diehards blame in part for turning their world topsy-turvy.
While there’s no word as to whether the featured guests will be signing tablet and smartphone screens with a silver Sharpie, they’ll be happy to read from their works and discussing the virtual-world vehicle that’s brought their words to thousands of faithful readers: Jersey Moms Blog.
Created by education and marketing professionals (and working moms) Teicia Gaupp and Cristie Ritz King, the collaborative, multi-contributor website launched a few years back with a simple mission for “inspiration at every exit.” And, while humor has been a crucial component of the Blog since its inception, the founders have engaged their target audience of New Jersey mothers with “recurring editorials, awareness features and giveaway promotions relevant to their lifestyle.” As JerseyMomsMEDIA, they create social partnerships and campaigns through Bloggers who work with them as Key Influencers, helping to amplify real experiences around businesses. Recent projects include Family Ambassador programs with Jenkinson’s Boardwalk and Liberty Science Center, and a teen driving safety program in conjunction with Toyota.
Gaupp and King will be joined in Fair Haven by one of their regular contributors — Amy Byrnes, a self-described “unemployed single mother of four who spends a lot of time hoping more things will go wrong in her life so she can write about them.” In addition to her Jersey Moms work (and other outlets that include an upcoming article in Family Circle magazine), she writes about her life, likes and fears (tunafish, math and teenagers, not necessarily in that order) on her own blog, A My Name is Amy.
Tickets for Thursday’s 7 pm event at River Road Books are $10 and include wine and light snacks. Due to space limitations, pre-payment will be required to reserve a spot, so call the store at (732)747-9455 or email [email protected].
