Ah, the wonders of writing! While I’m buried away in my office, minding the business of my characters, somewhere in the world someone is reading my novels on their Kindles, eReaders and Ipads. Now, I know this as I can see the sales on Amazon USA, UK, France, Germany, Japan, etc, but somehow I never thought my readers would be so close to home. Imagine my surprise when I contacted a local caterer for a party I was throwing and after giving my name she said, ‘Oh, you are the Jaci Byrne!’ I asked, ‘Excuse me, do I know you?’ to which she responded, ‘Well, not exactly, but a friend of mine lent me her Kindle to take away on holidays and I read Best Friends and Bastards and I loved it!’ Why was I so flabbergasted? Well, I suppose because my novels are on Amazon etc—the World Wide Web—and this woman lives in my neighbourhood. Then, I was collecting my mail from the mailbox in front of my house when my neighbour called out over the fence, ‘Just reading your latest novel, Penny Lane, Jaci. It takes me right back to the ’70s in England where I grew up!’ And then I got a message two days ago on Facebook from an old school buddy who I haven’t seen in twenty years. We were great mates, but as happens in life we lost contact. She now lives in Perth on the other side of this vast land of ours in Australia. She said, ‘I’ve recently finished The Girls’ Weekend. Which one of the old school friends am I, Jaci, Carla the tart or Jane the snob?’ I know it sounds like a cliché, but I write because I have to. It’s my calling. Something that makes my heart sing. To hear from readers from afar is a delight, particularly when they make an effort to find me on Facebook and send me encouraging words. Indeed, I have made friends with people I never would have through these wonderful mediums called Amazon, Smashwords, Apple, my website, email, and Facebook. However, to know that my words are being read by old friends, neighbours and readers within my locale, is a true honour. So, dear aspiring writers, just write. Get your books out there, and while you’re sitting holed up in your office, know that someone, somewhere is appreciating your efforts. And they might just be a lot closer that you ever imagined! I love hearing from readers. I love hearing from writers. If you want to contact me, here I am: http:jacibyrne.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Jun 2013 00:36:43 +0000
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