The Fans

Yesterday was an amazing day for me. I got the chance to give a talk at a local charter school. One of the teachers, who I knew in high school, invited me to come and talk to the students about writing.

Not going to lie, I was very nervous as I haven't given a talk in a couple years. But the students were absolutely amazing and made me feel so welcome! But before the talk even began one girl came up to me and asked, "Did you write the Amber Oak Mysteries?" A huge smile lit up my face. Apparently, she attended another talk that I gave at a library a few years back. The fact that she remembered a one-time talk made my day!

I continued with the talk I was going to give and it was with a small group of teenagers. But my attention kept going back to that one girl who was just so giddy that I had come. I spoke most of the time during the talk, but there were times when the students asked me some really great questions--some I had to take a moment to think about and it wasn't just about writing, but about how I saw the world.

I found their awareness of life, inspiring. These students were very intelligent and gave me hope for the future of our world.

When the talk ended and the parents came for pick-up. That one fan of mine, her mom came and was so excited to see me. She told me that the talk I gave all those years ago inspired her daughter to write books and she hasn't given up. To say that sent chills up my spine is a huge understatement. I felt so honored to have such an impact on the girl's life, even if it was only one meeting.

I started thinking about my fans, old or young, and I reflected on how celebrities react to their fans. A lot of them don't have the time to interact with the fans or even respond to a positive comment. But you know, those fans are the reason those celebrities are in business. I don't want to be so busy that I forget my fans. I may not be on the New York Times Best Selling Author List, but I still have fans and I wouldn't be where I am without their support!