It occurs to me that this would be a good week to say thank you to all the people who craft words into treasures.

If you’ve read my bio page, you know I’m a voracious reader.  My house is packed with books, read and unread.  My first worry when bad weather is in the forecast is never wondering if the pantry is stocked.  It’s whether or not I have enough new books to last until it’s safe to get out of the house again.

I delight in discovering authors I haven’t yet read. It’s a joy to come to the end of a tale and sigh with pleasure over time spent within that author’s imagined world.  And it’s a pain to have to wait a month, or a year, for the next book in my favorite series.  (That’s multiple favorite series, you know.)

Seldom do I write an author and express my appreciation for the joy, the adventure, the empathy, or the thrill he or she brings into my life.  It’s not that I don’t think the author deserves the praise, or that it’s not worth my time and effort.  It’s just that the next book on my pile is already attracting my attention.

My hand reaches out and caresses the cover.  I’ll just take a quick peek at the back cover and remind myself why I chose this book at the store.  Oh, yeah, this is going to be so good.  This author always manages to surprise me.  Or scare me.  Or make me swoon over the characters.  And a moment later, I’m deep into chapter one.  Totally forgetting my thought about sending a note of thanks to the author of my previous pleasure.

 

So today, I want to thank everyone who dedicates their lives and their passions to working with words. 

 

I want to thank men and women who share their imagination, their stories of strength over adversity, their adventures, and their nightmares.  I want to thank the authors of the hundreds of books I enjoy each year.  I want you to know that if you’re not already on my list of favorite authors, you may be tomorrow when I discover you for the first time.  You bring joy and inspiration into my life with every word you bring to life between the covers of your books.

 

Thank you from my heart!

This Valentine wish is for you!

 

Now, back to your writing, please.  The weather man is predicting more bad weather, and I need to stock up my TBR pile.