What do you say to the author of a book you’ve just read? Well, if you like the book or even love the book, you might go to the writer’s website (most writers have one these days) or find their page on Facebook and send them a message telling them how glad you were to read their book. Those messages are always fun for a writer to get. Or if you really want to share your excitement over a good story, you can post reviews in a blue zillion places on the internet. You can do that if you don’t like the story too, but that’s not nearly as much fun for the author. Us poor authors are needy when it comes to good words about our stories and wanting lots of stars on those reviews.
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It’s hard for me not to click on all those stars for other writers if I’m reviewing a book because I know how hard that writer probably worked on the story and what hopes he or she had that everybody was going to love it. Some of us spend months, even years, digging the story out of our heads and then another year usually passes with edits, etc. from the publishers and finally the book will be out there in the hands of readers. We want you to read it. We want you to like it. We want you to more than like it. We want you to love it. Of course we know everybody in the whole world is not going to read our book and love it. Hey, if everybody in the whole world did read my book, I might be as rich as Bill Gates and not care if you liked it or not. Well, that’s probably not true. I’d probably still want you to like it. Er, love it.
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So we’re not talking about those books you don’t like. We’re talking about those books you do like. Maybe books where you actually know the author and will be telling him or her face to face what you thought of the book. I’m a hometown girl and a lot of the people around here have known me forever. So I’m always meeting people in churches or in the grocery store who know I’m a writer. They usually say something like “I love your books.” Or “Are you still writing?” Or “When’s the new book coming out?” Or (and no writer likes to hear this one) “I don’t have time to read.” But the best comments I get are the ones that tell me what they liked about the story or how they enjoyed the characters or that they sat up until the wee hours reading to find out what happened next. Or they cried over the sad parts and smiled during the happy parts. And were glad they took my book home to read.
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And now that’s where I am with my new book, The Seeker, finding its way into readers’ hands. I’m sitting back waiting for what people will have to say. My sisters. My kids. My friends. And hoping I’ll hear some words that will tickle my ears. And see stars on Amazon or Christianbook.com or Barnes and Noble. I admit it. I’m needy. But I did like Adam and Charlotte and the story they had to tell and so it’s only natural I want my reading friends to like the story, too.
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To celebrate the new book, I’m having a couple of book launches. The first one at Corinth Parable Bookstore in Frankfort, KY on Friday, July 2 at 7 p.m. and the second one at my hometown library, Anderson Co. Public Library in Lawrenceburg KY on Sunday, July 11 at 2 p.m. We always have fun talking books at these book launches. Before that I’m taking part in the Harrodsburg Book Festival this Saturday. If you’re in the area any of these times, stop by and say hello. And if you’ve read one of my books, go ahead and say something nice. If nothing else you can say you liked the covers.
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Edna of Ohio was the winner on an autographed copy of The Seeker this week. You might be the winner next week if you’ve thrown your name in the hat by sending me a message or commenting here. Edna and Charmaine, your books are in the mail.