Read a thousand books,
and your words will flow like a river.
~ Lisa See
I love this quote because there’s a lot of truth to the fact that my writing is only as good as what I’m reading! Seriously, I’m quite sure I’ve read more than a thousand books in my lifetime, and I have to attribute the kinds of books I write to the many authors I’ve read over the years who have inspired me.
The first one I remember is Elizabeth Berg. I was working in a bookstore at the North Shore Mall in Peabody, MA in the early 90’s, and there on the New Books table was “Durable Goods.” I bet you can guess that I used my 33% bookseller’s discount and was thoroughly enchanted! I read all of her novels in the 90’s and beyond, and was moved every time. Talk about stories that stir one’s heart and soul!
It was her books, and those of several other women’s fiction writers, that inspired me to write the kinds of stories that I write today—stories that perhaps don’t fit the typical tropes that one sees on the bookstore shelves, stories that are woven with contemporary women and families, full of meaning, heart, and Spirit, and yes . . . sometimes even a little romance!
Catherine Ryan Hyde is another one of those authors. Her books, beginning with the popular Pay It Forward, are always about a bigger theme, something meaningful; they always give me a wider perspective, and something deeper to think about.
As I writer, I can’t honestly say that my words always “flow like a river.” However, because of the many, many books I’ve read that are full of heart and soul, I can say that my imagination is always flowing and that I am much better able to trust the words and the stories when they do flow through me.
My newest novel, Feathers in the Sand (Seahaven Sunrise Series #1) float onto bookshelves on 7-11-22.
More details here.