Aw ladies (and gents) one of my favorites from the year is joining us today with a guest post just for you. Laura Kaye was a new-to-me author until not too long ago when I picked up a copy of North of Need and fell completely head over heels smitten with her hero Owen. And I was officially hooked on Kaye's books. They're all absolutely delicious and damn she's got some of the sexiest covers you'll see these days. And they definitely fit the insides of her books too. They're amazing!
Anywho. I'm handing the blog over to Ms Kaye for the day. Check out her guest post and leave her some love. She's giving away an e-copy of her book North of Need *swoon* (you even get to learn how to make an igloo, now tell me, have you ever seen a hero build his heroine one of those before?! So cool!)
An Open Letter to My Readers
Thanks so much to Anna for including me in this awesome event! I’ve just wrapped up my blog tour for my newest contemporary romance, One Night with a Hero. This book, my ninth, was the first one I ever had hit the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists, and I was just so utterly thrilled. And who do I have to thank for that? Well, a lot of people. I have maybe the world’s best editor. And I’ve got great critique partners. And I have a hugely supportive family. And I can’t overstate the importance of any of them. But who I really have to thank is you. My readers. And that’s what I want to talk about today.
Do you realize what you do for authors? What you mean to them? I’ll tell you.
You make me want to do my job. With every tweet you send me telling me you loved a book. With every Facebook post where you ask me when I’m going to write a sequel to that book you’re just dying for more of. With every message you send me asking if there’s going to be more to a series. With every review you leave. With every squee you share with me and milestone you celebrate with me and “good job” you say to me, you make me want to do my job.
And not only that, you make me want to do my job better. If you love a book, I hope I can make you love the next one even more. And what a challenge this has been with Hearts in Darkness being my first book. I mean, I know, for some of you there will never be anyone better than Caden Grayson. And that’s okay. Because even if I never surpass him, for you, you’re going to make me try. And I’m going to be a better writer for the effort. And if you don’t love a book, I’m going to do everything I can to win you over next time around. Either way, with your love and your criticism, you push me to do more, to be more, and I feel like I’m always learning. And it’s such an exciting, fulfilling thing to experience.
You also make me love my job. In fact, I love it so much, I don’t even think of it as work. Sometimes, when I’m out doing something totally fun, something I love, I’ll still find myself thinking, man, I wish I could finish that chapter. You do that for me. You’ve made it that way for me. Because you care about my stories and my characters, you’ve made it so that something I love has meaning. And that’s the best feeling in the world. Who could ask for more than that? Not me.
You make me feel like I’m a part of something much bigger than myself. Readers and authors, we’re a community of people who all love the same thing. We get excited about the same thing. We squee, we stalk, we talk fictional boyfriends, we drool over cover art, we cry when a series we love ends, we stand in line at midnight book releases, we whine because it’s still three freaking months and eight days until Lover at Last releases, and WE. ALL. GET. IT. And that’s an amazing thing, being a part of something with other people. Everything is more meaningful when you share it with others. And you make that happen, for me.
So, I just wanted you to know that I’m filled with gratitude to each and every one of you. Truly. YOU are the best Christmas present I could ever have.
I wish you the happiest holiday evah.
With love,
Laura Kaye
“Laura Kaye is synonymous with great, sexy romance.”
~NYT Bestselling Author Jennifer Probst
Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
Ahhhhh!!!! Laura's giving one of you lovely commenters an ebook of North of Need! Thanks Laura!
This was one of my favorites this year. Owen...*swoon* he's...amazing.
Leave her some love and fill out that Rafflecopter!
