I received a letter today.
It touched my heart.
Now, I’m a "writing-word-communicating" sort of person. Daily I receive a zillion emails, business mailings, memos, text messages, phone calls and an assortment of loop mail. All are good.
But this was different. It was a real, old fashioned letter. With a stamp. It came in the mail. It was beautifully handwritten on pretty writing paper. It was written to me, just me, by a dear friend in another state, just to say hello, to share her life, and to ask about mine.
I write a lot of words in the course of a day. I write on my current book manuscript, write articles, short stories, plays, and occasional blogs. I communicate with a lot of people. But I have to admit it’s been a long time since I wrote a personal letter like that, although I did way back when, in the past. Why did I stop?
“Why spend 42 cents on a letter when email is free?”
“Email is so much faster..texting is like the speed of light.” “Hi 2 u!”
“Loop mail goes to dozens. It is much more productive.”
“I can send messages on Facebook, I can Tweet..”
I’m not exactly sure why getting this good old fashioned letter felt so nice. Was it that I was worth the extra minutes? Worth 42 cents?
All I know is, I cherish this letter! I like the feeling of pleasure it gave me, so I’m passing the thought on. I designed my own writing paper today (and printed it myself, as I’m still too cheap to buy the expensive kind, I admit).
I’m going to handwrite some notes, and let a few people know how much I care about them. In this busy, productive, high tech world, sometimes I can forget about that special, personal touch. I’ll spend the time and the 42 cents, because friendship is worth the extra effort.
Are there any thoughts on letter writing out there?
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
A Family Tradition
Fifteen years ago, a Barnes & Noble opened in the next town from ours just about the time school was closing for the summer. That started a tradition for me and our kids which we've carried on to this day: a day or two after school ends, we go to Barnes and Noble to celebrate summer vacation and we all buy books. Of course I'm the one who pays for them! Then we eat lunch (usually at Red Lobster).
Both my children, Amy and Josh, were in elementary school at the time we began this tradtion. Now Josh is finishing his next-to-last year of college and Amy is done with grad school and has been working for two years. But we still continue the tradition, which I love.
We went from buying many American Girl books (Amy) and how to do better at video game books (Josh) to adult books (both of them like Michael Crichton's novels). We always buy a mix--my choices are heavily into romances--and usually get 5-6 books each for our summer reading pleasure. I personally always buy a book by an author I never tried before (last year I bought one by Sandra Hill and it was very funny).
I think that even when both of them are out of school, we'll carry on this tradition. I love it! Browsing at books, stocking up on summer reading, eating lunch out--what fun!
What kind of family traditions do you participate in at this time of year?
Both my children, Amy and Josh, were in elementary school at the time we began this tradtion. Now Josh is finishing his next-to-last year of college and Amy is done with grad school and has been working for two years. But we still continue the tradition, which I love.
We went from buying many American Girl books (Amy) and how to do better at video game books (Josh) to adult books (both of them like Michael Crichton's novels). We always buy a mix--my choices are heavily into romances--and usually get 5-6 books each for our summer reading pleasure. I personally always buy a book by an author I never tried before (last year I bought one by Sandra Hill and it was very funny).
I think that even when both of them are out of school, we'll carry on this tradition. I love it! Browsing at books, stocking up on summer reading, eating lunch out--what fun!
What kind of family traditions do you participate in at this time of year?
Friday, May 1, 2009
An Interview with Avalon Author L. W. Rogers
On the first of each month, I intend to post an interview featuring a different Avalon author so that our readers can get to know the men and women behind the books. L. W. Rogers is my first victim...er...interviewee. I hope you are as delighted with these answers as I was.
Q: Tell us the first thing, in 50 words or less, that pops into your head when I say: Tell us about yourself.
A: I Think, oh my gosh, I’ve lived with myself all my life, but what do I really know about me?
Q: And the second thing in 100 words or less.
A: I’d like to pretend I was someone really exciting and glamorous, that way when people read about me they’ll think that because I write entertainment fiction that my life is as adventurous as the people and places I write about.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a writer? What was the biggest influence on this decision?
A: Long before I was old enough to hold a pencil in my hand and know how to spell words, I’ve been making up stories. My audience was either the animals on our farm or my dolls. When my daughters were little girls, I used to make up stories for them. Then as an avid reader, I’d read stories and think, “Hey, I could write better than this.”
Q: Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote.
A: I think I was about seven years old, and I wrote a sermon. I used a cardboard box as my pulpit, and my younger brother was my only audience. My mother came outside and wanted to know why I was yelling at my brother and telling him that the big bad wolf was going to hell for eating the three little pigs.
Q: Tell us about your decision to write about the old west? Why there?
A: The elementary school I attended didn’t have an in-house library, so students had to wait once a month for the rolling library to visit. As we were only allowed to check out six books, I was always hungry for words. My father was an avid reader of Westerns. Back in those days, the word ‘damn’ was a huge no-no. For this reason Daddy kept his Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour books hidden in his sock drawer. I’d sneak his books and read them, making sure I carefully put them back in their hiding place. Thus grew my love for the Western genre. I write about the old West because there is a mystique that lures me to outlaws, horses running wild on the Plaines, the lawmen and the frontier women who lived in this time period. It’s almost as if they are begging me to tell their stories.
Q: What do you like to do besides write?
A: When I’m not sitting at my computer, I enjoy taking trips with my husband on our Suzuki motorcycle, and of course, I relish the quiet moments with a good book. And then there’s my grandchildren. . .need I say more?
Q: What would you like us to know about you or your writing above anything else?
A: I write because the characters inside my head won’t leave me alone; I write because it gives me joy; I write because hopefully my novels give readers a pleasant place to escape.
Q: Where else can readers find you, besides clicking on your Avalon Author link on this page?
A: www.lorettacrogersbooks.com www.twrpcactusrose.blogspot.com/ www.historicalhussies.blogspot.com/
Q: Tell us the first thing, in 50 words or less, that pops into your head when I say: Tell us about yourself.
A: I Think, oh my gosh, I’ve lived with myself all my life, but what do I really know about me?
Q: And the second thing in 100 words or less.
A: I’d like to pretend I was someone really exciting and glamorous, that way when people read about me they’ll think that because I write entertainment fiction that my life is as adventurous as the people and places I write about.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a writer? What was the biggest influence on this decision?
A: Long before I was old enough to hold a pencil in my hand and know how to spell words, I’ve been making up stories. My audience was either the animals on our farm or my dolls. When my daughters were little girls, I used to make up stories for them. Then as an avid reader, I’d read stories and think, “Hey, I could write better than this.”
Q: Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote.
A: I think I was about seven years old, and I wrote a sermon. I used a cardboard box as my pulpit, and my younger brother was my only audience. My mother came outside and wanted to know why I was yelling at my brother and telling him that the big bad wolf was going to hell for eating the three little pigs.
Q: Tell us about your decision to write about the old west? Why there?
A: The elementary school I attended didn’t have an in-house library, so students had to wait once a month for the rolling library to visit. As we were only allowed to check out six books, I was always hungry for words. My father was an avid reader of Westerns. Back in those days, the word ‘damn’ was a huge no-no. For this reason Daddy kept his Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour books hidden in his sock drawer. I’d sneak his books and read them, making sure I carefully put them back in their hiding place. Thus grew my love for the Western genre. I write about the old West because there is a mystique that lures me to outlaws, horses running wild on the Plaines, the lawmen and the frontier women who lived in this time period. It’s almost as if they are begging me to tell their stories.
Q: What do you like to do besides write?
A: When I’m not sitting at my computer, I enjoy taking trips with my husband on our Suzuki motorcycle, and of course, I relish the quiet moments with a good book. And then there’s my grandchildren. . .need I say more?
Q: What would you like us to know about you or your writing above anything else?
A: I write because the characters inside my head won’t leave me alone; I write because it gives me joy; I write because hopefully my novels give readers a pleasant place to escape.
Q: Where else can readers find you, besides clicking on your Avalon Author link on this page?
A: www.lorettacrogersbooks.com www.twrpcactusrose.blogspot.com/ www.historicalhussies.blogspot.com/
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