Imagine how many different ways readers could picture this scene if it were described simply as, “A flattened cardboard box rested on the cold concrete sidewalk underneath the scaffolding.” YOUR imagination helps fill in the story!

Hello Reader and Friend,

I hope you are well. Not to pressure you or anything, but I want you to know I am counting on you. Yes, YOU!

The fact is, you, as a reader, play a huge part in my stories and every other writer’s stories. No, you are not IN my stories exactly, but you are still essential.

“What?” you ask. “I’m just minding my business reading, and enjoying a little escapism.”

Think what you want. I contend you are a bigger part of the equation. Here’s why.

requires a certain amount of active input. As you read, you are thinking and processing. You are not simply absorbing. Far from it.

Every time you dive into a book or click a novel onto your screen, you react to words and interact with words. You picture characters. You see the story.

How you react, and how you picture the story depends, in part, on what you bring to the story. The fact is, you bring with you your experiences, imagination, and emotions. You do not come with a blank slate. As a result, one person’s processing of a story might be slightly different from another person’s processing. Each one of you brings your own unique background to the books you read. You bring your very own personalized context, if you will. This is why I say YOU are a vital component to my stories. I am convinced my writing would be far less impactful without your active input. This excites me!

Think of this. When I put a character on paper, I have a vision of this character. I hear the character’s voice in a certain way. I get a certain feeling about the character. As I send this character out into the world, I am certain this same character has many, many versions of himself or herself, based on what each of you, as a reader, brings to the story. This also excites me.

This is why I claim that YOU, as a reader count. Big time!

Yes, you count as you read away indoors on a rainy day, or on a beach with feet in the sand, or in a quiet, secluded spot with a tiny nightlight or merely the light of your computer screen highlighting the words that keep you company. YOU count! So, give yourself a pat on the back! You count.

My book and other books NEED you because YOU are the one who brings life to the words in front of you! You bring meaning to the world within the book held close to you. So, let me say a heartfelt, “Thank you!” and, “Read on!”

Now, for more exciting news. My debut novel, Clean Sweep: A Novel will be released in less than one month! I can't wait. I hope you can't either.

Enjoy your reading. Enjoy your personal story. Embrace life!