In April, you went on a book tour for The Road Home. What’s your favorite thing about meeting your readers in person?
Hearing the real-life stories from my readers. Meeting their children, their siblings, and in some cases their BFFs in the book-signing lines. Offering a private prayer or a few words of encouragement.
Connecting with the people who’ve read my heart on the pages of my books—it is one of my greatest joys.
When you think back, do you have any favorite moments that stand out from meeting some of your readers?
A beautiful young woman shared with me that she was living off the streets when the local pastor’s wife gave her my book The Atonement to read. The story stopped her in her dead-end tracks and changed her life. She abandoned her old life and gave her heart to Jesus Christ and has recently completed her paramedic training. She is also a faithful church member at the pastor’s wife’s congregation.
What are the best things readers can do to support their favorite authors?
Post reviews online. Suggest the new novel at your book club. Purchase a second—or third—book to give to a friend or stranger.
And pray for the authors you love to read. They get tired, too, and sometimes discouraged or weary of deadlines, just like anyone who is busy working a job.
Also, send an encouraging email to the author’s website or a private message to their Facebook page. Sharing how the book made a difference in your life is an ideal way to support an author.
Click through to find out what Beverly has learned since her Amish fiction debut 20 years ago…