One of my favorite parts of writing a book is the moment it goes from being mine to being ours. And by ours, I mean, mine as the author, but also yours as the reader. Because yes, as the author I dreamed up these characters and put them in these situations and decided how they would respond. But they don’t really come to life until you take the words on the page and see them in your mind. And it’s that collaboration of an author’s words and the way they take shape in the reader’s head that makes a story magical.
And it’s also why two readers (or three readers or ten readers or one hundred readers) can read the same story and not take the same thing away from it. I was really struck by this when I sent my most recent book, Songs of Home, to my incredible advance reader team. And I started getting back all kinds of responses about the theme of the book (not that I ask my ARC readers to identify the theme like in a high school English class…they just do it naturally!).
Different readers pointed out so many different themes in the book:
- Belonging and finding a family
- Looking ahead to the future, not backward at doors that have already closed
- Redemption and helping others through their trials
- Being real and honest with each other rather than pretending everything is fine
- Not living in fear of the future because God already knows his plans for us
- Moving from grief to hope
- Learning to trust
- God’s never-ending love and faithfulness even when life seems dark and uncertain
I’ll be honest: some of those themes I didn’t even realize were in there until I started reading the feedback! But once my perceptive readers pointed them out, I had to say to myself, “Duh. How did I not see that?”
And the funniest part is, I didn’t realize that some (most) of these themes were ones I needed to remember in my own life. I started writing Songs of Home before my family even thought about moving to Texas—and yet God knew that we’d soon be thousands of miles from everyone we knew, feeling a little out of place at times. But this little snippet from Pastor Cooper was exactly what I needed to remember:
“Listen to what God tells us.” He picked up his Bible. “‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’”
He set the Bible down and scanned the congregation. “You know what that means, right? ‘You are mine,’” he repeated. “So many people in this world are searching for a place to belong. But here God is saying that belonging isn’t about a where, it’s about a who. He is saying you belong to him.”
And don’t even get me started on how I needed the reminder not to live in fear of the future or to be real about our messy lives or to look forward, not backward. The list could go on and on.
Ultimately, I guess what I’m saying is, thank you for bringing my stories (and the stories of other authors) to life in your mind! And for sharing what you get out of them with us. Because without you, half of the equation for story magic would be missing.
Giveaway time! The whole idea for this post came from a conversation I had with my kids about books the other day, and I can’t even tell you how much I love talking about books with them! Do you have a favorite person/people to talk about books with? One person who comments by May 12 will be drawn at random to win a paperback (U.S. only) or ebook (international) of Songs of Home!
Can God turn the worst day of her life into the best thing that has ever happened to her?
In the wake of a very public—and very scandalous—breakup, country music star Lydia St. Peter finds herself in need of a place of refuge. She doesn’t know why she thinks she’ll find it with the family she never knew she had in River Falls, Tennessee, but at least the small town will offer her the privacy she so desperately craves.
She never expects it to offer more—in the form of her new landlord, Liam, and his troubled teenage daughter.
When single dad Liam returns to his hometown of River Falls, it’s with the intention of taking care of his mother and protecting his daughter. He knows his own happiest years are behind him. They died with his wife.
What he doesn’t see coming is the instant connection with the new tenant staying in his mother’s carriage house.
As Lydia feels the pull of family and Liam allows himself to open to the possibility of love again, a new relationship starts to blossom. But when Lydia is presented with an opportunity that could rocket her to household-name status, she has to decide whether she’s willing give up everything she’s gained in River Falls to chase her dreams—or if her heart has finally found its home.
Valerie M. Bodden has three great loves: Jesus, her family, and books. And chocolate (okay, four great loves). She writes emotion-filled Christian fiction that weaves real-life problems, real-life people, and real-life faith. Her characters may (okay, will) experience some heartache along the way, but true to her tendencies as a hopeless romantic, she will always give them a happy ending. Valerie is living out her happily ever after in Wisconsin with her high-school-sweetheart-turned-husband and their four children. Visit her at www.valeriembodden.com to get a free story.
I started searching for activities mum and I had in common some years ago as a way to breach the tyranny of long distance and very different lives. Books are a perfect vehicle, except for the one time my cousin asked me why I sent a hot, lesbian romance, duh, it was an oops moment Mum never, ever mentioned. She prefers a quick kiss behind the cowboy’s hat in outback romances :)
I love your post and it’s the reason I prefer reading to listening to books. Congratulations on Songs of Home! Maybe if I’m blessed and win it would be a perfect opportunity to introduce Mum to e-books. Thanks
I love this! And I’m so thankful for your books and the way God has used them in my life. Take care.
I have a good friend who I love talking about books with!
I have one particular friend — when she reviews, I learn what my stories are about. The insights she shares on themes, etc, fascinate me, because I’m not aware of everything that goes in!
I have several people with whom I share book recommendations and reviews. One is an old high school buddy. When I say old, I mean old–we graduated 53 years ago! The other person is my daughter-in-love. I love that I have found authors like yourself who write clean, faith filled stories. And I love your newsletters.
I have a few friends I can talk books with, and more that ask me for recommendations!
Hi Val, Happy Mother’s Day! I have a couple of friends (as fellow readers) I discuss books with but the one person I talked with the most consistently about books was my Momma. When I lost her that was one of the things I missed the most and with each book I read I felt a little more of an ache. God blessed me once again when I began to do ARC books and later Beta work. The ability to talk with you, as authors, began to soothe that ache a little more with each discussion! When you talked about how different things strike each reader in unique ways it reminds me of sermons. Especially with Christian books, I believe God uses them as He does sermons and Bible reading/studying by giving each of us exactly what we need to hear or learn right at that time. I think that is true about many things in life but nothing more important than a lesson to help us grow in our daily walk with Christ! I truly believe there is unlimited potential in a well written book that tells the true way to accept Christ as Savior and/or gives ways to help deal with speed bumps (sometimes mountains!) in our daily walk with Him. Books can have as much value as a good friend. Sometimes we are even blessed enough to have a good friend that writes these books! 😉💕
Books are such a great way to bond, even across distances! I’m the same way–definitely prefer reading over audiobooks. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you! I’m so grateful for your support and encouragement! 💜
Friends you can talk books with are the best!
Yes! Isn’t it funny how we don’t really know what our books are about until an insightful reader tells us? But I love that! I just write and they tell me what I wrote…and then it seems like I should have realized all along.
Thank you, Bonnie! I love that you and your friend from high school still talk about books together! And it’s so sweet that you and your daughter-in-love bond over books too.
It’s so great that you’re the go-to person for book recommendations! I think I speak for all the authors here when I say we are so grateful for readers like you!
Hi Deb! Happy Mother’s Day to you too! I’m so glad you’ve found readers and authors to chat with about books and help ease the ache of not being able to do that with your Momma anymore. Trust me when I say it’s a blessing to us as authors too, to be able to talk about books with our readers–and to have those readers become dear friends! You are so right about sermons being the same way in that they speak to each of us and what we’re going through, be they speed bumps or speed mountains (love that terms!) in our lives and faith walks. Blessings!
Hi Valerie,
It is interesting how sometimes we can’t see the theme until the book is all written and shared with others.
Hi Valarie, wow , your book sounds like such a great and inspiring story! I love your book title and I love your book cover! My youngest sister and I try to read the same books and we love to discuss them. We enjoy the books that we read and what we get out of them. Thank you for the chance. May you have a Very Happy and Blessed Mothers Day!
Yes! I think it sometimes makes it harder during the writing, but adds to the fun once we share it with others. :)
Thank you, Alicia! I love that you and your sister read the same books and talk about them together. There’s nothing like a family who reads together! Happy Mother’s Day to you as well!
interesting themes
Thanks for stopping by!
My sisters and I talk books a lot weekly on the phone.
I have two Christian friends with whom I like to talk about books! one of them reads as much as I do and we recommend works to each other, the other doesn’t but still likes to listen to me.
That’s so fun! I love it!
Exchanging book recommendations is the best! And I love that even your friend who doesn’t read as much still likes to listen to you talk about books–so sweet. :)
Hi Valerie. I talk to my husband about the books that I read. I feel like sometimes his eyes are glassing over. He listens and tells me that it sounds like great book. Thanks so much for sharing. Look forward to your newsletter tomorrow. God bless you.
My daughter & I talk books always. I think your themes are good
I’m reading Songs of Home now and love the characters. I always enjoy your books. I don’t talk to anyone about books except to say I really enjoyed one I’m reading. Happy Mothers Day!
Lol! That can be the trouble–but at least he listens! The newsletter is all set to deliver shortly–hope you enjoy it! :)
Thank you, Amy! What a blessing to be able to share the love of reading and talking books with your daughter!
Aw, thank you Mary! I’m so glad you’re enjoying Songs of Home! Happy Mother’s Day to you too!
I love to read!
Appy Mother’s day. I loved Songs of Home. God bless you,
I like to discuss books with my daughters. Finished with Songs of Home this week. That one gives you some things to think about in your own life. It was a very good story.
Happy Mother’s Day
I don’t have a book buddy (strange since I’m such an avid reader) yet in identifying with characters and situations in books, I DO have a book buddy, lots in fact!
And being reminded here that I belong to Him, as that’s something I’ve struggled with and searched for – somewhere to belong, be included, be a part of, really resonated with me. Thank you!
One of the people I talk books with is my boss: I work part-time in a small used bookstore. We talk sometimes , and I’ve introduced her to a few new authors of women’s fiction. So far, she hasn’t convinced me to try authors like Patterson, King and Cussler. Although anything is possible, I guess! I do love your books.
Hi Valerie,
I do have a couple of good friends who I love talking books with. Thanks for your post!
This is the perfect place to be then! :) Thanks for reading!
Thank you, Carol! Happy Mother’s Day to you as well!
Thanks, Sharon! That’s always my hope–an enjoyable read and something to think about too. :) It’s so fun that you discuss books with your daughters. Happy Mother’s Day!
I love that perspective, Evelyn! You have lots of books buddies in the characters and situations you read about–that’s one of my favorite things about reading. I’m so glad you’ve been reminded here that you belong to him. What a joy to hear that!
I am sorry to say I have no one as I live not near family nor do they read what I read so we don’t discuss what each other reads – I also don’t know any one near where I live that I can talk to as I’m a Senior and don’t get out much. I do love your many books and get many ideas of what they mean and may not mean to me and the author. Thank you for your wonderful words above and your books you write.
That sounds like such a fun job–especially since you talk books with your boss. It’s so rewarding to introduce someone to a new book that they end up loving!
It’s wonderful to have friends who share your love of books! :)
That’s understandable. I think that’s part of what I love about being here at Inspy–it’s a great spot to talk about books that we all love. I hope you’ll enjoy reading the thoughts of fellow book lovers here!
My mom got me into books when I was younger. She would talk to me about the story and ask my opinions on it. Now that she has passed I don’t have anyone to talk to about books.
My sister and I talk books. We love to go book shopping LOL.
I so enjoy reading. I have a friend at my work that I exchange books with and we enjoy talking about them.
Aw, I love that your mom passed her love of books onto you and would talk to you about them. That’s such a great way to connect. You’re always welcome to talk about books with everyone here on Inspy!
What a great sisterly activity! Can’t go wrong in a bookstore!
That’s so fun–not only do you talk about books, but you share them! That’s a great friendship. :)
My oldest daughter and I love can get intoto talk about books we have read. Often one of us will recommend a book to the other. Once we have both read it, we can get into such a lively discussion that at times my husband thought we were talking about real people.
I love talking about books with my sisters! We read similar things and even share a blog and bookstagram where we talk about books. :)
I don’t have anyone I talk to about books I read unless it’s the Bible.
I do think about books I read about and kind of discuss them with myself, hummm.
Thanks for the chance.
I love that you get so into book talk that your husband thinks you’re talking about real people! That’s music to authors’ ears, lol!
Oh wow, that’s so great! You get to share your book love with each other and with the world! :)
Discussing the Bible is the best! And I know what you mean about discussing books with yourself…I find myself doing that as I think about books and characters that have really touched me–even years later sometimes.
I enjoy talking with folks about books, and especially Bible study books. Used to talk with my Mama, but she has been gone since Jan 2005 ~ I’ve still got all the books that were in her house when she passed, not that I’ve read all of them! I was still home educating our 3 youngest so reading much of anything but the kids’ books for school was about all I could manage back then. But my best girlfriend and I share books and talk about them ~ we even tend to give books to each other for birthdays and Christmas. I did manage to spark a love of some books in my dear hubby, by getting him to read to our 6 children as they were growing up; but he still thinks I have too many books ~ we only have about 9 bookcases full, plus all the boxes up in the attic! ;-) My dream is to have a house one day that has a room that I can use as a library ~ wall to wall, ceiling to floor bookcases! ;-)
A library in the house–that is the dream! I always picture the one in Beauty and the Beast–I don’t ask for much, lol. It’s so neat that you still have all of your mom’s books. There’s no such thing as too many books, if you ask me. :)
I talk about books with my sister and my daughter.
My daughter and other authors :)
Books are such a great way to connect!
So fun! We all love to talk books. :)
My mom and I enjoy sharing books between the two of us and talking about them once we’ve both finished them.
I talk about books I have read and would recommend to my grandma
I love mother-daughter book discussions. :)
I love that! And I’m sure she does too!
My sister and I always loved to talk books and pass our books to each other once we’d read them and then we’d discuss them and start another. Well, one would be reading on the next one while the second one of us was reading the first one, Sometimes they were purchased , sometimes they were borrowed from the library or our parent’s copious amounts of books in their library at the top of their stairs. But, our parents have both passed away now, and my precious sister has severe Alzheimer’s that struck her out of nowhere while our Mama was dying from cancer. So, my sister can’t read or carry on a conversation at all. She can only say “Hi, Lana!”, and sounds so happy to hear my voice and I can tell she knows it’s me, but then she’s gone! I call her once a week just to hear those two words. You see, her husband decided they were moving six hours away to be near their only daughter, but my sister wasn’t ready to move and leave all of her family, her church friends, and her church! And, it really hurt her brain, getting put in a strange environment. Anyway, my youngest daughter and I talk books a lot. Her genres are a bit different from my tastes but we try to read a few of the same books ever so often. I need for her to read more of my type of books! I am so excited about your book and I hope to win a copy or a gift certificate so I can buy a copy for myself! Lol
Hi Lana! It sounds like you and your sister had a very special relationship. I love that you shared books and passed them back and forth and talked about them together. I’m so sorry to hear about her Alzheimer’s. I am sure it touches your heart every time she says “Hi Lana” to you. It’s a blessing that you can talk about books with your youngest daughter. There’s just something about connecting over a book that creates such a special relationship. Thanks so much for sharing!
I recently went to a reader’s conference and met a bunch of really awesome people! It was so nice talking books with other women who read the same kind of books I do!
That sounds so fun! I’m glad you enjoyed it!