Jen, the book addict.

MY FAVORITE PIC OF ALL TIME.  COZZY AT AGE THREE. LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER.

Just a few days ago my daughter (not the one pictured above) and I went to a book signing for an author that we both love. Shannon Hale. Oh my word, she was so funny, totally someone you want to hang out with. She is that girl next door whom you have slumber parties with, staying up late, eating Doritos and Red Vines. She is also so sweet and gracious. I couldn’t get over how kind she was to all of the little girls who were star struck, my daughter included.

Listening to her talk about her struggle to get Goose Girl, her first book, published all those years ago was so encouraging for this aspiring author. And look at her now, with her 15^th book coming out this year. So inspired was this girl.

Anyway, this got my girl friend and I talking about how wonderful this time is for young readers. I don’t know about you, but I was not one of those kids that loved to read. I know, insert gasp here.  I hated it, in fact. I only read what was assigned in class, and even then I usually skimmed the book, or watched the movie.

So what happened? You ask. Well, I read THE BOOK. What book? "The book" is different for everyone. It is that book that first entranced you. It’s the first time you became so engrossed in the story that you couldn't put it down. And, when you did finish it you wanted to find another book just like it because lets face it, a good book is addictive. For me the book was Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. (I am embarrassed to say I was in my early twenties). Man, I flew through that book and then devoured everything gothic that I could get my hands on. Now, I love just about anything. Like I said, I am a bit of a book addict.

I know there were great book when I was a kid, I just hadn't been pointed in the right direction. Now, on the other hand, our kids seem to be having great books brought to their knowledge left and right. All of my kids are big readers, thank heavens! I asked each of them what their “book” was. My youngest is seven so she really hasn’t found “the book” yet, but she loves Arthur and the True Francine by Marc Brown. My ten-year-old is an intense reader like her mother. The first book that really hit a home run for her was The BFG by Roald Dahl. My second son read Eragon by Christopher Paolini at the age of ten and never looked back, and my oldest refused to open a book until he read the first The Last Olympian novel by Rick Riordan.

I can’t tell you how grateful I am for authors like Shannon Hale who write amazing stories that inspire my kids. (My daughter’s favorite book of hers is A Book of A Thousand Days, in case you were wondering).  I am grateful for all of the authors out there who never gave up even though this is an industry filled with rejection. Who kept on writing even though there really isn’t much monetary gain for even successful authors. And, who share a piece of themselves so kids like mine can experience the beauty of a good book, and maybe find the inspiration to write their own stories.

Who are we kidding. I was a little star struck too.

The End Of An Era

Last weekend I attended a writing conference sponsored by ANWA. It was a fabulous weekend filled with wonderful speakers and even more amazing writers. I love the lessons learned, but even more, the sisterhood that is felt when you are in a room with women who love what you love.

Had a blast with this crazy group at lunch!

A lot of the conversations at the conference seemed to be centered around how the “industry” is changing. No longer do the publishing houses rule, and no longer do you need to go through typical avenues in order to be a successful author. This is all in thanks to the E-book. Is this a good thing, yes, yet, there seems to be some definite trade offs here.

            Before we know it our bookshelves will be empty and our kindles will be filled. I admit I very rarely read actual books anymore. But, just recently I stopped to realize what we are losing. For over 600 years we have been blessed with printed books. Soon that time will be gone, gone! I hope we can all realize the significance of this. It is HUGE! I am all for technology, but man, this makes me sad.

            Another thing that worries me is this idea that the author is the brand and the book is the product and that for some reason the brand is more important. I know I am old school but this idea breaks my heart. If the craft is not as important as your ability to sell yourself, are we losing something here? What happened to writing a great book, a book that changes lives? Books have changed my life plenty of times. I remember being 11 and reading “A Summer to Die” by Lois Lowry. This was the year after my brother had died of cancer. That book changed my life! That book allowed me to feel what I had kept bottled up for over a year.

            Now, I know you have to built your platform and sell, sell, sell, I just feel that your writing should still hold supreme.

            Well, this is all coming from a struggling author, so, what do I know, right? It is just something that has been clinging to my mind for a while and I thought I would share, and hopefully get your take.