Recently I was invited to attend a book club to speak about It’s Over or It’s Eden. I was very eager to talk with the readers but when I arrived, I was blown away. There, on the kitchen counter, was a cake designed…well, I don’t want to give away spoilers, so let’s just say the cake was in the shape of a notable entity from Chapter 22!
The book group based the entire evening’s menu off It’s Over or It’s Eden. We had trail mix and jerky like Arwen might have eaten on her journey through the mountains, a meal of fish like Marah’s community may have made, and then of course the special cake (chocolate flavor).
I was touched by their connection to the book and their own creativity. Writing is a solitary venture so one of the most special parts of being an author is when a reader shows you that your book had an impact them.
It brightens my day when people e-mail me to say, “That was an amazing read! While I was reading, I kept thinking, ‘This is why I love sci-fi!’”
Readers have taken my books on vacation and sent me pictures. Readers have messaged me to let me know they asked their local library to buy a copy of my book. I received a slew of notes and messages from readers after this piece was published on fsm. Women saying, I feel the same. Readers saying, this is what happened to me…
And that’s what the connection between readers and writers can offer, why it should be celebrated. Writing is about putting words to stories, ideas, and thoughts into a sharable form, a medium that helps us all feel less alone.
When readers and writers connect, when we see and recognize a like-minded person within the pages, everything is thrown into a brilliant shimmer.
