I conducted a most-unprofessional interview earlier this summer. Here’s the question: When you first began to choose your own books to read, what advice did parents and teachers give you? Or why did you choose the books you did? 

The cover, of course! My friend and I laughed. Those shiny ones with great images draw us in. I remember my mom suggesting the books with well-worn covers, not always the prettiest ones. You know it’s been read again and again. It would be a great read! 

A parent or teacher suggested books and authors they believed we would like. Which ones suggested to you did you love the most? For me it was Heidi. I’ve read it many times. I read it again while I wrote Tangled Promises. Heidi makes an appearance in the story.

Familiar characters became childhood friends: Pippi Longstocking, Ramona Quimby, Madeline, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Paddington Bear, Winnie the Pooh, and others. We loved the series and collections. Madeline & Pippi became special friends in my storybook world. That’s still true, isn’t it? We love when authors write the sequels that give us more of the lives of the characters introduced in the first book of a series.

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Illustrations. We thumbed through the pages enjoying the illustrations. Maybe not as important as we graduated to chapter books, but I remember returning time and again to favorites that included interesting images even if only a few scattered throughout. 

Besides not judging a book by its pretty cover, my mom offered my eight-year-old self another piece of advice when I got my first library card. “Always look inside the book for lots of quotation marks. Books with people talking are better stories.” I hadn’t thought about this when I began writing fiction, but quickly discovered that I loaded my stories with dialogue. 

The characters carried on many conversations, creating the need for me to go back and develop their story world and give them action beats and more. Otherwise, I just had a bunch of bobbleheads. I believe subconsciously my writing-self had internalized the advice mom had shared decades earlier. A couple of well-worn books from my childhood remain on my bookshelf. I checked, and yes, they are filled with dialogue. I think what mom meant, but didn’t know the words to express it as we do today. Show. Don’t tell. 

How did you choose the books you would read as a child? How will you choose your next read? Will you stick with the tried and true, or will you venture into uncharted (for you) author territory? No matter how you choose, be sure to bless the authors of the books you read by reviewing them (Amazon, BookBub, GoodReads, etc). In our digital world, when many readers leave even a couple sentences about the books they read, their reviews become the “well-worn covers” others are seeking. 

Tangled Promises is set in September/October 1881. During the month of September this year, the eBook is available on Amazon for just $1.99

Just for fun… You can tell A Chimp in the Family was a well-read book. Yes, this Weekly Reader Tab Book (remember those), had a fun cover. It also is filled with dialogue as the family interacted with this silly chimp. And I still have the book. I believe Mom made an excellent point!

MEET LYNN…

Lynn U. Watson is the great-great-granddaughter of a baron from Southwest Germany. From stories whispered down generations to the vibrant threads of her own life, Lynn’s journey is a testament to creativity and compassion. Nurtured by her grandmother’s love of needlework, Lynn built a thriving custom clothing business, and with her husband, Steve, they created The Lynn’n Butterfly Collection (cross-stitch designs). In 2007, Lynn became a certified reflexologist, opening Footsteps in Eden, a haven where she uses touch therapy and prayer to relax her clients. She combines her passions and heritage Stepping through Time Stitching Stories of Faith. Lynn, Steve, and their feline overlord, Jasmine, call Bartlett, Tennessee home. 

Learn more at her BRRC Author ProfilePage