I’ve been having a bit of a rough go of it lately. Without getting into too much of it, let’s just say it has been hard for me to post things here. Not because I haven’t been working. I most definitely have. Not because there hasn’t been a plethora of things I could have discussed. Once again, I’ll point you to the start of this paragraph.
Through a great deal of encouragement, I attended an artist’s market this past Sunday in a local craft brewery. I found myself surrounded by a baker, seamstress, jewelry maker and a wide range of other people captured by the spirit of creativity and the ability to express themselves.
As the sole author, I tried to represent those of my chosen profession well. Talking all aspects of stories. Sharing of myself and ultimately making sure I engaged with as many people as possible. There was a high school teacher who engaged me on the psychological underpinnings of one of my series. I talked with a grandmother and granddaughter who were looking for something they could share.
However, one person stopped at my booth, listened to the pitch for my books and said one of the most honest things I’ve heard in a long time. She told me that she used to read, but now her mind and body rebelled against the act putting her to sleep. I lamented how common the situation was. I even suffer from it from time to time. I gave her one of the bookmarks that has the QR code to my website and told her to keep an eye out for when I started to offer audiobooks.
A short time later, she returned and asked to buy a copy of “Unburied.” She told me she visited my website, read the samples there and decided she wanted to restart her reading journey again, and she wanted it to be with my work. I got her a book and some of my giveaways before personalizing the book to her.
I get so focused on all the things I do which center around the idea of making the best story I can. I am rigorous. I pursue things even when I know I’ve got plenty on my plate. In those times when someone says, “Hey, I’m getting back into reading because of you.”, I feel like all this matters so much more than I could ever imagine.
Thank you for checking in on me. Continue to do so. I have been working so hard and am excited for what is coming next.
Enjoy the Journey. We’re all on it together.