And the universe answered

Yesterday I spent most of the day composing a blog post in my head, but it never got out of my head and into the universe.

I'll write now what I planned in my head, and the tell the rest of the story.

When I decided that I was going to pursue my dream of writing books after retiring, I was comfortable with the idea that my books were not going to provide supplemental income, and would not make me a lot of money.

But I have enough of my mom, Harriet, in me, to think about my books being selected for Oprah Winfrey's Book Club, and a movie being made starring George Clooney as Jean-Luc.  But I knew I was dreaming.

What I really wanted was to tell my stories and put some love and goodness into the world.  I wanted for people to feel good when they read my stories, and to have a happy escape from the difficulties of life.

I didn't expect it would be so hard to get people to read my books, and I was seriously thinking I would get more reviews. 

I was feeling pretty discouraged yesterday about my lack of sales and Kindle pages read.

Then, yesterday evening, I heard from a friend telling me how much she loved my books, and that her sister in law loved them too, and would like me to participate in a local author day at her library in October.

Thank you universe.  I may not get reviews on Amazon or Goodreads, but people are reading and enjoying my books. 

And that is all I wanted.

What makes you want to read a book?

Once upon a time in my childhood, I read mostly second-hand and library books.  Back in those day, hard cover was the thing, and many hard cover books had glossy paper covers that went over a plain cloth card stock cover.

It was rare for me to see the paper cover of a book, except for the book I always got as a Christmas present.  So, for me, the cover art will turn me off to a book, but won't usually provoke me to buy a book.

Same for the blurb.  The blurb would be on the lost cover.  So I would open the book, read a few paragraphs and decide.  Or know I would like the book because of the author, or because it was part of a series.

What makes you want to buy a book?  Is it the cover?  The blurb?  The author?  Part of a series?  A genre or sub-genre you enjoy?

I'm really curious folks and I would love some feedback.

Why I love to read

One of the reasons that I love reading so much is that an author can take you not just into a story, but into someone else's mind. 

I have learned from reading that I can't know what someone else's intentions are.  So often in fiction, a character does something, and their action is totally misinterpreted by another.

By the author taking me inside the character's head, I can see their motivation and intention.  I can see their consternation when their action is seen as something other than what they intended.

I can sometimes say to myself, "Oh dear!  That is not going to go over well".  And then it doesn't.  I have watched characters allow misunderstandings to grow and fester, when a simple conversation could solve things.

Reading has enhanced my ability to be compassionate.  It has enhanced my understanding of how hopeful and fragile a species we humans are.

Reading has allowed me to meet people I will never have the chance to physically meet.

And once I have met them, I can never see them as anything but just another person, struggling to make the best life they can.

That is why I love to read.  Why do you love to read?