Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Sweet Acknowledgment

In March, my sister and I took a road trip to Columbus, Ohio, to attend the Romantic Times conference. I was given their Reviewer's Choice Award for Best First Series romance for my first Superromance, NO ORDINARY COWBOY.

I was thrilled!

Acknowledgment is crucial for everyone in every field. It is especially important for writers who spend so much time working alone in offices, caves, spare rooms, or niches carved out of dining or living rooms. Writing is a solitary pursuit. It isn't always easy to determine whether what we are writing will mean anything to the reader, whether s/he will find excitement, peace, wisdom, fun, escape--whatever it is that we are trying to make her feel.

I think that's why reviews matter so much to us. The good ones are like gold and make a rough day better. Bad reviews? Not so much. My favorite reviews? From readers who were touched personally by something that I wrote. In NO ORDINARY COWBOY, the hero and heroine each had a painful secret that filled them with shame. I won't disclose those secrets here, but I will say that I received letters from readers who had suffered with the same problems and had been touched deeply and personally by the book. So, so gratifying.

Every remark made to writers touches us deeply.

To you readers who purchase our books, thank you for reading them, for taking the time to recognize our work and for sharing our passion.

5 comments:

  1. Hello Mary,

    I'm still finding my way through the jungle of words dripping from the branches,littering the floor of my office, while I try to make some sense of them. As a TRW member, I hear you. Silence can be loudest when you listen alone.

    Be well. Keep writing.

    Evelyn

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  2. Hi Mary,

    Good work on the blog! Congratulations on the great reviews. No kidding writing is a solitary pursuit. We're so lucky to have our TRW chapter to inspire.

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  3. COngrats Mary on the award - it's well deserved and I hope the first of many!!!

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  4. Evelyn and Bethany, as writers we need support and TRW is a fabulous resource for that!

    Cheers!
    Mary

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  5. Molly, thank you! It sits in a place of honor on my bookshelf.

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