HEART 2 HEART ~ "If I can reach only one reader ..."

Hi All,

I've been an "absent friend" for which I apologize. My computer came down with a virus and is only now recovering. I'm posting this blog with the utmost of respect for the opportunity to do so.

How many times have we all gotton on the Internet-waves, opining about marketing this and marketing that, which is best to do, which is worse, how many to guarantee for a signing, how many to send promos to, et al. The answer: MANY TIMES. All of us who write, of course, want to sell as many books as we can to as many people as we can. That seems a reasonable expectation, I think you'll agree.

Often when we're in the middle of a project, we're in it for our hero and heroine, for our story, wondering how things will go, and praying they will go well. Not so often do we think about the readers on the other end of things, wondering if they'll like our story beyond the hope they'll buy it. I'm not saying we write without any thought for our readers and their tastes, but what I am saying is that my focus isn't on the reader as much as on my hero and heroine and what I hope for them. I feel the responsibility of writing a good-enough story to get published and satisfy any potential readership.

With regard to my current WIP, I feel a new responsibility ... "to please at least one potential reader" waiting for my story(s). I live in a small community full of friendly, engaging Colorado mountain folk. My friends and neighbors have been so supportive of my writing and are happy about any success I find with any of my books. Recently I ran into an old friend. We talked about our children and then about my books (my friend asked me about my WIP). I didn't hesitate to talk about my planned series set in Civil War, Virginia, THE QUAKER AND THE CONFEDERATE, Hearts Divided and Hearts Persuaded. Almost to the end of book one now, I'm happy to talk about how the story is going with any and all who might be interested. While I intended to write my hero and heroine into the story, I hadn't intended on a third protagonist---a little slave girl named Surry Lion. I'm not black. I didn't feel qualified to write in a black character but ... there she appeared ... on page one, the first character to speak in the story! Those of you who write historicals know what I'm talking about. You do a lot of research and it stays with you on most every page you write. Of course, in any story set in Virginia during the Civil War, slavery had to be addressed. I hope and pray I do justice to Surry's character, as well as my other protagonists.

My whole point in mentioning all of this is that my friend has a beautiful black granddaughter, that her daughter adoped two years ago. Both she and her daughter have read my books to date, liked them, and are anxious to get a copy of my Civil War series for little Caitie. They want to surround Caitie with books about her rich heritage.

I'm deeply touched and suddenly feel an overwhelming responsibility to make sure that "if only one little girl reads my book," it will all be worth it.

This one's for you, little Caitie.

Love,

Jo(anne) Gregg Sundell

author@joannesundell.com
www.joannesundell.com

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