I have been really fortunate to have some wonderful experiences with people who are interested in The Last Crystal Trilogy. Meeting people is rewarding–especially the kids. People who’ve read my books have been encouraging. I’ve had some great reviews, too–not all of them from family, either!
At the same time, I am keenly aware that The Last Crystal Trilogy is not on everyone’s Christmas list. Ilka Tampke, who has just won the “Most Underrated Book Award” for 2019, given by the SPN (Small Press Network) Independent Publisher’s Conference of Australia, points out that “The saddest thing about a book failing to reach an audience is not the wound to the ego, but the ending of a conversation.” As Tampke notes, it isn’t the desire for recognition, so much as the communication of an idea that drives us.
The idea of a conversation resonates with me. When somebody says, “I liked your book,” or when I get a letter from a kid with a picture of one of the characters, I feel like there is a conversation going on. I’ve been heard! An idea that has consumed me for days, weeks, months—years, even—has been heard. Now I have the opportunity to listen and try to understand what they make of the idea.
Every reader has a unique reaction to what they encounter in a book. It is exciting to hear reactions, even when they seem unrelated to what I had in mind. If there is an opportunity, I love to find out where the “unrelated” ideas are coming from. Usually, there is a connection that isn’t necessarily apparent without some probing, one that is almost always something I hadn’t considered. What a great way to learn! That’s what a conversation is—people expressing ideas, considering, agreeing, disagreeing, learning. As Tampke put it, the conversation is what keeps a writer going.
