Hi! I hope you’ve entered to win a $15 Amazon GC in my VOLLEY BALLS Blog Tour!
I’ve had an interesting experience lately, which has led me to a comforting realization. We romance authors are Writing the Stories We Want to Hear.
What led to this visceral realization was listening to my own books in audio. Since i’m lucky enough to have all my audiobooks produced for me by Dreamspinner Press, i don’t actually listen to them in totality before they come out. Up until now, i hadn’t listened to them at all. But then i really got hooked on audiobooks. I listen to other people’s books at the gym, on walks and even at night before i go to sleep. So i started wondering how painful it would be to hear one of my books. I’d always assumed it would drive me nuts to listen to my own writing, but i decided to give it a shot. I downloaded Knight of Ocean Avenue, which has over 200 reviews on Audible. With some trepidation, i started listening. Long story sort — I loved it. I loved the characters and the story. I found that listening to it read gave me enough distance that i no suppressed by criticality and just enjoyed it as i would someone else’s story.
That got me going and i’ve become an ardent fan of listening to Tara Lain books! LOL. I’ve listened to Knave of Broken Hearts, Sinders and Ash, Taylor Maid, and i’m now in the middle of Prince of the Playhouse. Sure i hear the mistakes, both in
reading and writing, but overall, i realize i write these stories because i love them and want to hear them told. I can’t describe what a relief that is. Like all authors, my books get hammered from time to time by bad reviews or people who don’t like them. Of course, i’m delighted to say i get lots of good reviews too. But knowing that fundamentally i wouldn’t have told the story differently, even if there are people who didn’t like it, is an actual relief.
We authors depend on our readers. We love them and appreciate every word they read. They make it possible for us to do our job — which is writing books. But deep down, we tell the stories we want to hear and live in delight that others want to hear them too.
My newest Audiobooks are Lord of a Thousand Steps and Beauty, Inc. I’m working my way toward them — and i hope you enjoy them too.