Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Letters From Readers

It's been awhile since I've posted reader letters. Here are a few that I've printed out recently and are waiting to be filed. These letters are touching because people just say what's on their hearts, and through their few words, I get a glimpse into their lives.
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I have been a Christian all my life, and I love to read. I have been very conflicted in the past several months, however, because I love to read suspense novels, but the authors I had been reading had content that I should not have been putting into my mind.

I started a job a little over a year ago working for a nonprofit ministry. We are in the initial stages of a campaign now, trying to raise funds to build a children's home community for suffering children, who will be raised on campus by missionary houseparents until they transition into college or trade school. Working in this environment, my faith has grown and God has been working on my heart to start reading better material.

I ran across your Hidden Faces series in a store, and purchased three books. I have read Brink of Death and have started Stain of Guilt. I love your stories!!!!! It is so refreshing to read a suspense novel that is so good and so clean. I will be reading every one of your books.
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Subject: New Reader

Don't let that new reader thing fool you. We are only new to your books but have been in this world over 70 years.

Anyway, we ,my wife and I just finished "The Bradleyville" series and enjoyed them very much. (She read, I listened.) I like to read but it is getting difficult for me as macular degeneration is starting to take over. But even before that we "read together" to enjoy books together.

Again, thank you for you fine stories and also for your testimony on God's healing touch in your life.
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The interesting thing about your books is that they scare me and make me think. I find myself turning pages fast as I can, racing to get to the end so I can know how it all turns out. But once the book is done, I'm kind of sad I rushed so much. That's when some of the things that happened start to sink in on the spiritual level. I remember something a character said or did, or the way you phrased a sentence, and I think yeah, that's worth thinking about. There's always something to take away from your books.
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If you're a published writer, leave us an excerpt from one of your reader letters in the comments. Go ahead and include a link to that book's page on your Web site. If you're not yet published, what kind of reader letter do you dream of receiving?

5 comments:

Lynette Eason said...

I got this from a reader last week:

Dear Lynette,
I have never read a book that kept me reading from page one until now. Your Silent Terror was so hard to put down. Thank you.
I have been receiving Love Inspired Romance for years and then thankfully the Love Inspired Suspense books came out. What a joy to read without all the foul language, and explicit sex. I can pick up any of the Love Inspired and know that I am going to enjoy them.
I hope there will be more Suspense books in your future. I am a fan and will read everyone I can get my hands on.
Blessings to you.

www.lynetteeason.com

It's nice to know readers appreciate all the hard work we put into our books!

Anonymous said...

I know being self-published never counts for anything, but this comment counts for a lot, from a man no less. (the novel: The Famous One)

"I became entwined in the life of strangers again and had to find out where their lives meshed. You have a wonderful gift of painting the picture of a person's struggles in everyday life as well as their relationships. I felt like I knew Joey like a friend at the end of the book, and was surprised by the ending since we all like the happily ever afters. But real life is like that, and after I thought about it, I came to realize that the ending really was exceptional.

It was a great story and was kinda sad when it was over. I am a fan for life !!!"

Sigh . . .

Blinky St. James said...

If I get published I would like to receive at least one letter where someone really enjoyed my story. It would mean a lot to me. ^_^ Haha... ;D

Anonymous said...

I'm not published -- yet, God willing. But if I ever received a reader letter, I'd hope that the reader would write to say that by reading my book, he or she came just a little closer to understanding how great God's grace is. (Which would have to be from God, because I write fantasy ; )

C.J. Darlington said...

I hope someday to find out someone came to know the Lord through reading one of my books. That would make it all so worth it. My Mom once asked me, "If everything you've ever done to get published and everything you've ever written was to reach one person for Christ, would it be worth it?" It would so be worth it. I hope the Lord blesses me with a letter like that.