When I contemplate my author life, here are a few biggies I am grateful for:
• My hubby who encouraged me to write after I speed-read every romance novel in our local library;
• Virginia Romance Writers for that unpublished author contest that gave me hope that I might have something;
• Virginia Romance Writers for encouraging me to submit my crazy story to The Wild Rose Press; and
• TWRP editor who took a chance on that crazy story (and she knows who she is!). :-)
But beyond those, I'm grateful for readers who pick up our stories and give them a chance, especially when you consider the millions of books currently on the market (100 pages of Romantic Suspense alone on Amazon!).
Special thanks to all who write reviews, even the woman who trashed my "Christmas Dance" with a 2-star review and called my characters selfish. She was right, by the way, but that was kind of the point of the story! She said a whole lot more that I have (in selfish, self-preservation mode) blocked from my memory, but the point is that she cared enough about the story to stop and post her thoughts. And thankfully there were other reviewers who reacted a bit less negatively to the story. :-)
And then there are the readers who don’t like posting reviews but who tell their friends and co-workers about a great book they just read. If that’s you – thank you! Word of mouth is the author’s best friend.
So a big THANK YOU today to those who read. You keep us going.
Wishing all my fellow Roses, all my fellow authors, and all my fellow readers a joyous and blessed Thanksgiving.
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Leah writes stories of mystery and romance, good and evil and the power of love. Learn more at leahstjames.com, and stop by and visit on Facebook. She loves talking to other readers and authors!
