This is Merrillee posting today. I'm going to talk about fan mail. Here is a photo of a path to the beach not far from where I live. So what does a photo of the beach have to do with fan mail? I received the most interesting letter from a lady who read one of my books. Someone gave her one of my books, HOMETOWN DAD. She said, "I enjoyed every minute reading it. I will be looking for other books by you." That is what every author likes to hear. But what made the letter so intriguing was what she told me about herself.
She saw in my reader letter that I lived in the beach community where she spent time in 1943 during World War II, while her husband was in the coast guard. She traveled with her nine-month-old baby from Kansas to Florida, where she shared an apartment on the beach with two other service wives. She sent me photos of the house where they lived and a photo of the beach. I would've loved to share them here, but they were copies and wouldn't scan very well. The photo of the beach that she sent is very similar to the one above, but she would see many, many things that are much different than the place she remembers. She probably wouldn't recognize the island now. One thing that made me chuckle was when she mentioned getting used to drinking the sulphur water. When we first started coming here on vacations we always had to buy bottled water to drink because the tap water tasted so horrible. It is much better now, and I have no trouble drinking the tap water.
I so enjoyed reading the history of her time here and the other snippets of her life that she shared with me.
Have you ever received a letter that made your day? What did it tell you?
I'm going to give away two sets of my Kellerville series to two people who leave comments along with their e-mail address today.
She saw in my reader letter that I lived in the beach community where she spent time in 1943 during World War II, while her husband was in the coast guard. She traveled with her nine-month-old baby from Kansas to Florida, where she shared an apartment on the beach with two other service wives. She sent me photos of the house where they lived and a photo of the beach. I would've loved to share them here, but they were copies and wouldn't scan very well. The photo of the beach that she sent is very similar to the one above, but she would see many, many things that are much different than the place she remembers. She probably wouldn't recognize the island now. One thing that made me chuckle was when she mentioned getting used to drinking the sulphur water. When we first started coming here on vacations we always had to buy bottled water to drink because the tap water tasted so horrible. It is much better now, and I have no trouble drinking the tap water.
I so enjoyed reading the history of her time here and the other snippets of her life that she shared with me.
Have you ever received a letter that made your day? What did it tell you?
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Merrillee, what a special fan letter. How great to connect with a reader on such an intimate level where the past meets the present. I'm inspired!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
ReplyDelete~Renee~
My very favorite "letter" was a one sentence email:
ReplyDelete"I loved your book so much you made me late for church.". That one still makes me smile whenever I think of it.
Letters are always special. I love to receive, and sending, them. And I'm one of the few people I know that still has the habit of writing friends and family.
ReplyDeleteBut that letter from your fan is a step beyond. So lovely to know that your story inspired her to tell her story and now you get to tell us and somehow her gesture is receiving smiles from all around the world. There's blessing in it.
I won't enter the giveaway because I can't wait for them to read your amazing and touching books. It's hard enough to wait for its release day ahahaah
Take Care and thank you for sharing!
Merrillee, that's very cool!! I love letters like that. I had one piece of fan mail that had a woman who's related to my husband!!
ReplyDeleteBY TH WAY! Due to a scheduling mixup, we actually had two posts today! So for those of you reading this, please scroll on down to read more!
ReplyDeleteOkay, never mind! I'll save Teri's blog until Thursday! So be sure to come say hello to our new blogger on Thursday! :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMissy, now I remember. I said I'd give up my spot to post today, but I never took off the e-mail reminder. So when the reminder popped up, I thought I had to write a post. I posted because the e-mail reminder said I was supposed to. OOPS! :) My memory is only about 5 minutes long.
ReplyDeleteRenee, Allie and Missy, thanks for sharing your fan letter experiences.
ReplyDeleteTeresa, bless you for continuing to write letters. I still write letters to my elderly aunt, but I communicate with everyone else through e-mail, Facebook or Skype.
What a great letter! I do not receive "fan mail" but I know the encouraging comments people make to me make my day! Your books inspire! I really enjoy them.
ReplyDeleteMerrillee, no worries! I should have reminded you!
ReplyDeleteNew blogger Teri Wilson's post will be up on Thursday!
Well, my comment about the mail I received didn't make much sense. LOL Glad I re-read it.
ReplyDeleteI received a nice letter from a reader, and through an email discussion, we figured out she is distantly related to my husband. Very cool!
This is great!
ReplyDeleteAn injured firefighter once wrote that he read my book while recuperating, and it helped him during that difficult time. So special for me. So nice of him to write me.
ReplyDeleteHow poignant to learn of that meaningful time in your reader's life, Merrillee.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSorry, my typo above...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Merrillee! Such a special letter.
I think my special letter (email) would be from my agent, just before she called and offered me representation. She said that she "loved my writing and characterizations" - those words meant so much to me.
loree.huebner@yahoo.com
Im not a writer but have sent emails and letters.
ReplyDeleteThe first author I wrote to was Gilbert Morris and was so excited when her replied. He even sent a photo of himself and one with his daughter. We actually wrote a couple of letters. Would love to go into the draw if an aussie can.
ausjenny at gmail dot com.
Debby, it is always wonderful when our books touch our readers' lives. It is wonderful when they let us know.
ReplyDeleteKathy, thanks for your comment. Letters or words of encouragement are so helpful. We never know when even the smallest encouragement can help someone.
ReplyDeleteLoree, that is a special letter. It is fantastic news when we receive validation of our writing.
ReplyDeleteJenny, you are welcome to enter, and what a cool response from an author.
ReplyDeleteMerrillee it was so cool it was like writing to a friend.
ReplyDeleteIm sitting here in a daze been up to long but waiting to see if I get a call from the hospital. Mum has Pneumonia and I am waiting to see if she made it through the night. I have a feeling she hasn't but and will be ok if thats the case as she really wants to go home to Jesus. Just heard shes still with us but they dont expect her to last the day.
Yes I have made letters that have made my day. One time when I felt I had accomplished nothing with 44 years of teaching kids at church, a former student sent me a letter telling me how much I meant to her. She is teaching now. jrs362 at hotmail dot com
ReplyDeleteJenny, I will pray for your mum and you.
ReplyDeleteJane, how wonderful to get a letter from one of your students. We don't always know when we touch someone's life.
ReplyDeleteMerrillee,
ReplyDeleteAwesome letter!
I try to email an author at least once a year about liking their book(s). Sometimes they respond, sometimes they don't. I had one fan letter where the reader took all the first names in my book and told me that she had friends and relatives with the same name.