If you're like me, the holidays make time pass in a blur. If we're not careful, the moments that make the holidays special will be forgotten in a swirl of tissue paper, twinkly lights and finger foods. As a wife, mother, friend, (etc!), I get busy doing for others and end up at the bottom of my list. Pausing long enough to absorb and savor can feel like a luxury. So, when I received some emails from readers who loved my book, I sat, stunned and humbled, and remembered to take a breath and appreciate their gift of words.
For my readers who have taken the time to email, tweet, post, like, and review, THANK YOU! Below are a few messages I've received recently (with identifiers taken out).
"Absolutely fantastic, Connie! If I am not ready for Christmas, it is your fault.
I love the book. I detect a horse-loving childhood
for you.??
Good Luck and many congrats. What an
accomplishment."
-New Hampshire
"I have wanted to email you since I finished your wonderful,
amazing book – and this is the first chance I have had! ... I just wanted to let you know that I LOVED your book. And I
am a bibliophile. I read ALL of the time that I’m not working with horses and
Reiki! Which is a lot. You were so sweet offering to skype with us and all.
And while I don’t need to take your time with that – I did want you to know how
very much I enjoyed your book. And how much I am looking forward to the next
one! I’ll try to find you on facebook so I can be notified when it’s out!
Can’t wait."
-Canada
"I just wanted you to know that I just finished "The Charity"! I bought it at
the Equine Affaire last fall and it had been sitting on my bedside tale staring
at me. Working full time and raising three teenagers keeps me very busy so to
commit to reading a book is a daunting task for me. I finally started it last
week and couldn't put it down until I finished
it. ironically I finished the last few chapters at my daughter's horse show.
all of the parents kept asking me what was keeping my attention and I told them
about the book. I highly recommended it to everyone."
-Rhode Island
"I rarely have time to
read but when I do, I like books like "the girl with the dragon tattoo"
trilogy, the "hunger games" trilogy, as well as Gillian Flynn books .The
Charity was as suspenseful and riveting as those, if not more! Being a
horse-lover made me connect with your book even more. I just wanted you
to know how much I enjoyed your book, and await your next one!Regards and thanks for such a great read!"
-New York
"A copy of your book came my way from a friend. It was on
my stack of books to tackle and once I finally got to it, I thoroughly enjoyed
reading it. ... My
daughter also has a copy and I am encouraging her to pick this up. I notice
that the ending left a lot of opportunity for a sequel? Looking forward to that
if you are planning on it!
Best of luck to you with your writing. You are very good at it!!"
Best of luck to you with your writing. You are very good at it!!"
-Kentucky
"OMG! I loved the Charity... I can't wait to start the next
book. Is it at the bookstores yet? I usually read books on the best sellers
list, and you are right up there with the best."
-Massachusetts
"I wanted to touch base with you Connie and tell you that I just finished The
Charity. It has kept me glued to the chair, tense and turning pages until the
end. It is quite the book and full of suspense and a true thriller! I enjoyed
every page until the last....I am so glad to see there is a sequel coming out
because I was left sitting there going, 'but what happens to them now?' So thank
you for writing more of the story....why this has not been picked up for a movie
I have no idea! I can imagine certain people in the roles and see the horses and
countryside, etc. The story would make a great movie!
... I have been an avid horsewoman for many, many
years. So I have enjoyed your book immensely and look forward to The
Troubles....I think I'll take a breather for a few weeks and read some Nicholas
Sparks to settle down tho'.
Blessings to you and yours and may 2015 find you all in good health and
spirits!"
