Back in June I released the first chapter of EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE in an intro anthology from the SFR Brigade titled PORTALS:Volume 4 (we’re up to 7 now I think). I didn’t really think much of it until this week while I was in a post-book shambles. I went to the SFR Brigade with my woes (what now? what next? how shall I go on?) and along with the usual encouragement author Carysa Locke sent me this…
I have a story for you, Liana Brooks! Yesterday, I had a new 5 star review post to one of my books. The reader said she tried to stop reading and go to sleep, ad literally could not put the book down and stayed up until 4:30am reading. After I hugged her words to my heart and basked in the warmth of a reader loving my book, I clicked on her name to see what else she had reviewed - I do this fairly often, because sometimes if someone is enjoying my books, *I* might enjoy reading other things they've liked. I noticed she also reviewed Portals: vol 4, which you and I are both in. She mentions you specifically as THE author that brought her to Portals, and talks about the high quality of the first chapters. She is apparently a huge fan of your books, Portals brought her to mine, and now (hopefully) she will be one of my readers, too! My thought on it is this: CLEARLY you have some awesome readers out there who love your writing. She said in one of her reviews that your new book was next up for her, and she sounded SO excited to read it! I bet she will post a review very soon. :)
First: Hooray! I have a reader who leaves reviews! Reviews are the magic pixie dust of publishing.
Second: Hooray! The PORTALS books are working and readers are finding new authors to love.
Third: Hooray! Someone stayed up late reading a book! That’s awesome!
Stories like this are what authors love to share. I love knowing that one of my readers found another series of books they adore. I love knowing that my friend has a new reader for her series (Carysa is the pen name for an awesome writing duo & you should read their books).I love knowing that I have a loyal fan who had read all my books and is waiting for more.
Because, at the end of the day, knowing there’s a reader waiting is what pushes me to do more. If I were writing for myself, I wouldn’t be as good an author as I am. If I were writing only for myself, I wouldn’t ever try to improve.
Thank you, Readers, for being readers. Thank you for taking a chance and picking up my books. Thank you for leaving reviews. Thank you for being there so all of us writing a book have someone to write for.
<3
– Liana