This morning I received a precious photo from a mother who purchases my books for her daughter. In a recent contest to win a signed paperback of The Summer Solstice: Enchanted and The Equinox, this mother (Laura) won and asked that I sign the book to Lily who was a fan of Enchanted. I did and luckily the books arrived just in time for Christmas!
Below you will find sisters, Lily (right) and Sophia (left). There are so many wonderful things about this photo that inspired this blog post...
Why do I write Young Adult books? This right here is a perfect example. Some of the things that resonate with us in life are the experiences that create long-lasting positive memories. When I was Lily's age I was reading non-stop. You couldn't tear me away from my books and I seemed to never have enough of them. I loved entering a character's world and experiencing obstacles with them. Eventually, my love for reading turned into something bigger. I didn't just want to read a story; I wanted to create my own. So I picked up a pen and a notebook and just started writing.
Usually, the books I read when I was younger were light and entertaining reads but there was always a moral take-away. That's why I write the way I do now. In both books there are references to "saving the planet" but they are very light and do not distract from the read. While I want my readers to gain something educational from my writing, my books are written as a form of escape for my readers, not as an opportunity to preach.
The photo above not only fills me with happiness at the fact that my novels are reaching people, but it proves that what I'm doing is not a waste of time. My books are inspiring young readers to pick up a book and leave a review when they're done. And Lily now can look at someone who has been in her shoes before—someone that took that leap of faith and published her own book. Just keep doing what you love Lily, and one day life will reward you.
"Anything is possible when you read."
~ K.K. Allen ~
