Publisher: Bantam (PRH)
Genre: Psychological thriller | $28 hardcover | $13.99 ebook | $20 audiobook
Release date: May 23, 2023
Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. Together, they have written four novels and four novellas, including Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestsellers, and have sold more than a million copies worldwide. Their debut novel, The Last Mrs. Parrish, was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection.
Lynne also writes the Jack Logan series under the pen name L.C. Shaw and serves as vice president, education and members services, of International Thriller Writers. Valerie started her career as a White House assistant in the president’s Scheduling and Advance office.
In The Senator’s Wife, DC philanthropist Sloane Chase’s life was derailed when a tragic accident led to the death of her husband. Now she’s back, with a new spouse. But first she must recover from a major surgery. Lucky for her, she has the perfect aide, Athena Karras. Athena not only cares for Sloane post-surgery but also helps her to run her charitable foundation. But as Sloane experiences post-surgery complications and becomes sicker, she becomes more worried about Athena’s probing questions about the foundation and her past.
When asked what contributed to her book landing on the Publishers Weekly bestseller list, Lynne and Valerie said: “From our brilliant editor to our dedicated literary agent and the excellent marketing, public relations, and sales teams, their commitment and hard work have been huge contributors to our success. We’re indebted to the Bookstagrammers and bloggers who have taken the time to read and review and spread the word. Their support is invaluable and greatly appreciated! We owe a debt of gratitude to our author community, our dear and wonderful friends who share our book news and encourage their readers to become ours too. And last but certainly not least are the supportive booksellers and librarians who ensure that our work is shared far and wide.”
The campaign for the book led to numerous reviews on book blogs (Linda’s Book Obsession) and YouTube (Killer Women) as well as Bookstagram and TikTok. Not all placements were with major influencers—some YouTubers had as few as a hundred subscribers, for example. Additionally, the release was supported with events at bookshops, primarily in Connecticut (RJ Julia Booksellers, Elm Street Books, Westport Country Playhouse) but also with Politics & Prose in Washington DC—a thematic fit for a novel rooted in DC politics.
Lynne and Valerie encouraged other authors to “amplify what your publishing team and what the book community is doing for you by sharing on social media. Interact with readers and the book community on Instagram and Facebook and build your own community. Also be generous with other authors and promote their work as well as your own. Collaborate with other authors to do events together, and build your network by attending book talks near you as well as conferences with authors in your genre.”
Emily Wenstrom is a freelance writer and platforming expert and writes award-winning speculative fiction for teens and adults as E. J. Wenstrom.
E. J. Wenstrom believes in complicated heroes, horrifying monsters, purple hair dye and standing to the right on escalators so the left side can walk. She writes dark speculative fiction for adults and teens, including her new release, a young adult dystopian novel titled Departures (August 10, 2021). When she isn’t writing fiction, E. J. Wenstrom is a regular contributor to DIY MFA and BookRiot, and co-hosts the Fantasy+Girl Podcast. Learn more at her website.
