Today, I had the chance to meet readers and talk with a woman I met last year at the Heart of Louisiana’s annual Readers’ Luncheon. The ladies that sat at the table with me had great questions and even better thoughts about what made stories interesting to them. I was even able to appreciate why a reader liked a certain series of books that make my face contort into a mask of ugliness. Conversations like that open up a world to all of us and challenges the thoughts that we’ve ingrained into our brains. 

It’s always great to talk to other authors, but perhaps the best part of today was talking to a reader who gave me feedback, face to face, about the stories that I’ve written that she’s read. Y’all I had a glow all the way home. It’s fueling an amazing amount of words flowing from my fingers this night. 

My advice to you is that if you liked a story, tell the author. Either email him or her. Leave a review where you bought the book or tag them on Twitter. You’ll be giving sweet, lovely words to fill that author’s emotional well. We all need a little of that.