Sometimes, I feel like I have the power to make a difference. Does this ever happen to you? Are you harboring tiny pockets of power that could be used for something good?
What if YOU could be the reason someone smiled today?
What if YOU could make a small difference in someone else’s life?
What if I finished a novel, published it and it was because of YOU that it hit the New York Times Bestseller List?
Well, don’t get excited, because I didn’t finish writing that New York Bestseller… YET! But many other people have. I have read soooo many books by authors that are filled with amazing stories. Stories that deserve recognition. Authors that deserve to be hugged and told that you loved reading their books. Being an author is a tough business. For some, doubt is creeping around every single corner of every single day, so they could use a little reason to smile.
On Thursday, my husband and I celebrated our 10thWedding Anniversary. We went out for a nice Surf & Turf supper followed by a few hours of hanging out in the bookstore, trailing our fingers across every spine in the fiction section, smelling the new pages of some of our favourite authors, discovering new authors and being excited about which books we should buy this trip. We would meet up in different aisles and pretend we didn’t know each other, and then strike up a conversation about random books we had stacked in our arms. We were basically a ROMCOM (Romantic Comedy) happening in real time. Yes, as a couple, we are considered two book nerds falling in love all over again, not only with each other, but with authors and their words.
Fact: We are lovers. Book Lovers too!
I had a few sad moments while I was walking through the 80% off aisles. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a great bargain BUT my mind went to the $2 stickers on the front cover and I wondered just how much is the author actually making on this book? The book isn’t even that old. It’s only been in circulation for 12 months? 6 months? Geesh! Then I let my eyes wander around the huge store gazing at all the books waiting for someone to take them home, and yes, like in the movie Bridesmaids, I wanted to have the van full of puppies speeding down the highway after the party, only my van would be filled to the brim with all the unwanted books. I would take them home with me—possibly share with my husband—I would read every single book, trying to make an author happy that their book wasn’t locked inside a bookstore with no one to love it.
Does that sound crazy?
Yeah, I’m sure it does. But it makes me happy to buy another author’s book, read it and then tell them how much I loved it. This comes full circle back to having the power to make someone smile. When you tell an author how much you loved reading their book, sometimes they surprise you. This past week, I was surprised not once, but TWICE!
During my lunch hour a week or two ago, I listened to a LIVE interview between two amazing women authors, Lisa Unger and Karin Slaughter. They were talking about mysteries, suspense and thriller novels (all of which are my favourite). They mentioned if you commented during the LIVE interview you might win something. Honestly, I didn’t care if I won anything, I was just hoping to hear some secrets they might share by accident about their process of writing a bestselling thriller novel. I was there to hear about how they research, how they attempt their first draft, how long it really takes to write a bestseller, if they have help editing it into a masterpiece or are they doing everything on their own. These interviews always hold many interesting answers for me. So, I was happy that I listened. I took some notes. I went back to work.
After a week of camping in the woods with my adorable husband, unplugged from the world, I returned home to find my social media had exploded with hundreds of text messages, emails, Facebook messages, etc… and several were from Lisa Unger asking me for my snail-mail address. I had won something and she wanted to send it to me. What? I wanted a copy of her new book, Under My Skin, so my fingers were crossed that it would show up in my mailbox.
Fast forward another week… I received PRIORITY BOOKMAIL! $24.95 US Dollars worth of bookmail. Unfortunately, it was NOT Lisa Unger’s new book Under My Skin, but it was a short story called The Twenty written by her, and a hard cover copy of Lisa Scottoline’s newest release, Feared. I thought it was weird, it wasn’t even a copy of one of the two girls in the interview I watched, but hey, I love Lisa Scottoline and I didn’t have this one. I was excited and happy because who wouldn’t be? Right? Plus, I already have all of Karin’s books (just finished reading Pieces of Her and it was FANTASTIC). Inside the Feared cover, it was signed with a note, “I love Lisa Unger, too! xoxo! Love Lisa Scottoline.” Oh, these girls know how to warm my heart. A signed Lisa Scottoline book! Sweet.
A couple of days later, I found another Priority Mail package in my mailbox. This time it was from an agent in New York City. Why was I getting mail from a literary agent? It should be the other way around, right? I should be sending out my unpublished manuscript to agents. Ha! That’s a story for another day… However, my package was from Victoria Sanders & Associates in Stone Ridge, New York. That is Karin Slaughter’s agent. Ohmygod! Karin Slaughter is my ab-so-freaking-lute-ly favourite female thriller writer. Seriously, she is the one I want to be when I grow up and figure out how to write a real thriller novel. I. Want. To. Be. Her. … with Lisa Unger and Lisa Scottoline close behind her. Back to reality, I pulled out a Karin Slaughter T-Shirt. Yep! I’m in love all over again. Then, I started surfing the internet for other #SlaughterSquad or #UngerSquad T-shirts… no luck. My mind started racing about telling these girls they could make money with selling their merchandise to crazy fans, such as myself. Now, I want a “The Good Daughter” T-Shirt that will make my mother frown! Maybe, I should make one myself? Or send Karin Slaughter a crazy fan email requesting such an item. I’ll save that for another day, as well. Ha!
Bottom line, I made Lisa Unger and Karin Slaughter smile because I listened to their LIVE Facebook interview, because who wants to have a LIVE event that no one comes to? In return they made me smile by rewarding me for listening by sharing secret info, PLUS I was extra-smiling when I received gifts! I feel the power of making a difference here… I’m so busy telling everyone I know on social media and in person about how awesome these two authors are, which is a bonus for them. Plus, I will be extremely happy about walking around with my Karin Slaughter shirt on for years to come, thanks to Lisa Unger for picking my name out of a list of random people. It is hard to tell which of us are smiling bigger today.
Imagine having that much power… here’s the thing, I think YOU do.
Support an author today. Listen to their podcast. Buy their book. Read it. Tell everyone about it. Word of mouth is a wonderful tool that is one of the easiest ways to make someone smile.
If you are a writer, a day will come when you’ll be begging for someone to make you smile. What if YOU could be the reason?
MAKE KARMA HAPPEN!
Love this, and tweeted it!
Thanks Debbie! Much appreciated. You’ll never believe this, but I was just talking about your novel, The Crate, at my writing retreat. I told the girls they NEEDED to read it. It was soooooo good! Happy writing until I see you again. xoxo
I’m simply in awe with what you just posted. You are truly an amazing author and after reading your post I want to read more than I have been doing. Also, I’m thrilled to be able to say your one of my dear close friends. I love following your adventure and will always be one of your biggest fans!
Love yea, Lori xoxo
Kimmie, you are so sweet. Thank you! Wait. Did you just say you are one of my biggest fans? I actually have a fan? Wow! We should have cake to celebrate. Ha! You can be President of the Lori Twining Fan Club. It should be an easy job, as there is only one person on the list… YOU! Ha! Sending big hugs to you Madame President. Thanks for the support. I appreciate it. xoxo
Well written Lori, we do have the power to make a difference. A smile is so warm and contagious. It’s impossible not to return it. We definitely need to support each other and never forget that even famous people need positive reinforcement.
Thanks Lynda! It is great to hear from you. Maybe we’ll meet up again during the Turning Leaves weekend with Writescape? I’m happy to hear that you agree with me regarding our power to make a difference. Most “famous people” are just normal people who have a little more money in the bank than average people. These writers go through the same emotional experiences that we have regarding our writing… some days are full of doubt and other days are sprinkled with confidence. All of us need to support one another as much as possible. Happy writing!