I recently mentioned on Facebook that I have a fantasy of seeing someone on the beach reading one of my books. Perhaps that’s not a fantasy you’d expect from a woman who has spent the past five years researching sex. But I think it is a fantasy of many writers of books. And since I am, first and foremost, a writer of books, … well, you get the idea.
So, this morning, I opened Facebook and found this:
That’s Diane Nerren Butler reading my book Wasted on a beach in Maui. Diane, a friend from high school and travel nurse working in Maui, knew my book fantasy and was sweet enough to fulfill it. All I can say is thank God for friends and thank you, Diane.
A few minutes later, I got an email from one of my coaching clients, Frances Townsend. Her email was headlined “Cool pic”. Inside, Frances wrote, “Just picking up some research books on sociopaths for my book and saw this in true crime. So cool!!!” I clicked on the photo Frances had attached, and this is what I found:
That’s Wasted on a bookstore shelf. I don’t care how many books a writer publishes, there’s still a huge thrill in seeing your book on a bookstore shelf, especially if it’s a brand spanking new copy of your book selling for full price and not a used copy selling for 50-cents.
This afternoon, what I write is so cool!!! that I have such great friends. Thank you, both.
By the way, I have fantasies of seeing someone reading my book in any Whataburger, on a train from Philly to New York … or in the Swiss Alps for that matter, on a plane to anywhere, in a bar in Japan, seaside in Greece, along the Amazon, snapped by the paparazzi at LAX — shoot, since I’m fantasizing, let’s make that the paparazzi in Paris — along a riverbank in Africa … even along the Angelina River near my hometown. I just love seeing people read my books.
Until I have those fantasies fulfilled, in my mind, I hear Bette Midler singing, “You got to have friends, the feelings oh so strong … la, la, la, la, la … you got to have friends.”
THANKS, Y’ALL!!