Books and Gratitude

by Stephanie Black

Thank you to everyone who entered the drawing for a copy of Jennie Hansen’s new suspense novel, Shudder. The winner is . . . Ronda Hinrichsen! Congrats, Ronda! Email me your snail mail address and I’ll mail you Shudder.

Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, it seems appropriate to express some gratitude. Here are a few things I’m grateful for:

*That I have NOT seen that zombie movie Rob talked about.
*That no one is planning to buy me an Edward Barbie doll for Christmas.
*That I do not have to go shopping on Black Friday. My daughter and I got a little weird last year and decided to give it a try. We walked into Kohl’s, saw that the line went all the way to the back of the store, screamed, and fled. Okay, I'm kidding about the screaming, but we did leave without buying anything. Unless they’re giving away free bricks of gold, no way is that kind of wait worth it.
*Pie. I am grateful for pie.

Random note: have you ever made your shopping list for Thanksgiving, and you go to the grocery store and you’re getting celery for stuffing and apples for pie and potatoes and suddenly you realize that there are two dinners left before Thanksgiving and you haven’t thought of anything to eat for those nights?

Now for some book-related gratitude:

*I’m grateful for the authors who’ve poured countless hours into writing books that gave me countless hours of enjoyment. I’ve always enjoyed reading—my mother says that I loved books from the time I was old enough to grab the pages. I can’t even imagine what life would be like without good stories to read. Three cheers for imagination!

*I’m grateful for the opportunity to write books as well as read them. An analogy: I play the violin—never practiced as much as I should have, but it’s fun, and I’ve enjoyed playing with some community orchestras. Reading a good book is like listening to music you enjoy. Writing a book is like playing it—it takes the experience up a notch, or ten. It’s not all a party, of course—writing a novel is a lot of work, and sometimes it’s a struggle. But writing books is something I love to do.

*I’m grateful for all the support and friendship I’ve received in the LDS writing community. I’ve made so many new friends through writing. There are always people ready to support you, give you advice, hold your hand, and walk you through the bad patches. In the good patches, there are always people cheering you on and celebrating your achievements. I’m grateful for Jeff, Rob, Julie, Kerry, and Sariah, my wonderful fellow Frog Bloggers, and for all of you who read the blog.

*I’m grateful for the people who read my books. Thank you for picking them up and giving them a chance, and Julie, I’m sorry about giving you the creeps. Well, sorta sorry. Okay, not sorry at all. More . . . gleeful. The wanting-to-steal-your-kid’s-nightlight comment is one of my favorite comments of all time. And thank you to everyone who has taken the time to drop me a comment or a note letting me know that they enjoyed my work. Those notes mean the world to a writer.

*I’m grateful for my publisher. They’ve been great to work with, and I’ve been blessed with two awesome editors. And I’m grateful for the bookstore staff who promote my books to customers.

*I’m grateful for the news I got from my editor yesterday telling me that my new manuscript has been accepted for publication. Waaahooo!!!! I’m very excited. And I’m grateful to Brian, Karlene, Jon, Anna, Sue, Dianna, Amy B., Amy M., and my Dad for their help with the book.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. And remember: Friday morning=pie for breakfast.