I spend a lot of time talking to writers about books and writing. I can get on a Skype chat with Kitty and Stephanie and we can spend many happy hours discussing the finer things of plot points and voice and character arcs.

But when my husband is having trouble falling asleep he asks me to talk about writing. It started off as a joke, but in reality, talking about the latest behind-the-scenes YA controversy puts him under like nothing else.

Last year I signed up for a book club and I’m the only writer in the bunch. I also belong to a large homeschool support group, and if you know anything about homeschoolers, you know they love books.

I’ve been noticing some similarities, but more interesting to me, differences among my writer friends and my reader friends.

Readers aren’t that interested in the behind-the-scenes stuff. The odd tidbit here and there they find interesting, but if you talk too much, their eyes tend to glaze over. One example, at my last book club meeting we were reading The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson. I just so happened to have a copy of the BOOK PROPOSAL that sold the book. (Don’t ask me how I got it…don’t remember, it’s just one of those things that I picked up somewhere!)

No one wanted a copy. No one even wanted to take home the copy I brought. My reader friends thought various parts were interesting and it provided additional information for our discussions (like the meanings of the character’s names). But that was it. Had this been a group of writers, we would have been making photocopies and spending the rest of the evening analyzing it.

Readers are intensely loyal to their favorite authors. Even when those authors bomb. In book club we were reading one book that I could not even finish. This was a book that appeared to be pushed through the pipeline at the last minute. The writing was poor, the editing was poor. I wasn’t the only one who found editing mistakes—content editing mistakes—not just a missing comma or a misspelled word. But the author has written a ton of books. We all made excuses for this particular book and assured each other that her others were better. (I have to admit I really like this trait in readers. Grace when we happened to slip up is a good thing.)

Readers know when a book works. (And when it doesn’t work!) They may not know all the ins and outs on why it works, but the good books stand out and make readers happy. Very happy.

Parents DO care what their children read. They wish that authors would support the morals they are trying to instill in their kids. I learned this both from book club and from my homeschool group. One of the ladies I know whose granddaughter, a teenager, is struggling with all that teenage angst, made the comment that “there is just no support” meaning, she was feeling the culture pressing back on everything she was trying to help her granddaughter navigate. She was talking about more than just books—movies, TV shows, clothing, etc. But you get the gist. Another mom wrote to our email loop asking for book suggestions for her daughter. She said she and her newly 13-year old daughter went to the YA section at the library and she “just about had a heart attack” when she saw the books available in the youth section.

Characters are real to readers, too! The gals in my book club talk about characters like they are living people with histories (backstory!) and hopes and dreams (motivation!). However, readers talk about character in a slightly different way that writers do. I’m still trying to put this nuance into words, because it is so slight and when I think about it, the thought slips away. It may only be the difference of coming at a character from the back end (deconstruction) VS the front end (construction.)  Whatever it is, I’m learning a lot about effective character development by just sitting back and listening in book club.

 In all, I love how enthusiastic readers are. They love books as much as writers do and that’s a great thing!

I have a weird routine and I’m curious to see how many of you writers also have this odd behavior. I’m guessing there are more like me out there. Incredibly, my husband does the same thing, which I discovered on our honeymoon in Alaska. (Is it possible to be too compatible?)

What is this weird routine? Visiting libraries while on vacation. Bookstores too, but there’s something about a library.

I’m thinking about it this week because Kitty is in New York for RWA and I’m really hoping she visits the New York Public Library (and gets her picture taken with a lion.) If I ever go, I have an unanswered research question that I just know I could find the answer to in those shelves.

On my first visit to Phoenix I made my friend take me to the ASU library so I could research a book I was thinking about writing. She thought I was crazy, but I bought her an ice cream and told her we might see some cute guys. By the time we found the library I only had time to pull up the card catalogue and drool over all the books I could have taken out. I don’t remember if she spotted any cute guys.

On another girls weekend to Leavenworth, WA, a cozy Bavarian town, I found a little library to poke my head into for a bit. My friends indulged me while I perused the kid’s section.

One of our favorite libraries that we visit on vacation has a room designated for Friends of the Library book sales. We travel with an empty suitcase inside my big suitcase so that we don’t have to hold back if we find any treasures. We’ve always come home with something.

When our kids were preschool age, we included library story times into our plans. I liked seeing the variety of kids programs out there. One year we came across a fantastic storyteller and I still have the handouts she gave me.

And I suppose, if you are published, this visiting-libraries-routine could be added to your marketing plans–have bookmarks, will travel! 

If you have not tried this, I encourage you to check out libraries in the towns you visit this summer. See what regional flare they have; what different variety of books they carry. And bring some pocket change. You might stumble across a ten-cent book sale.

In his last guest blog of the month, Davis Bunn shares what’s coming up in his writing life. If you haven’t tried his books yet, start with book 1 of his Storm Syrrell Adventure series, Gold of Kings. Or try the Acts of Faith series beginning with The Centurion’s Wife. We hope you enjoyed our time together this month! Thanks again for joining us, Davis!

One of the nicest things that has come from regular blogging is having readers write back saying that they are committing to pray regularly for me.  These gifts of prayer and encouragement mean the world.  In return, I would like to share with you a bit of what I am working on now.

I have wondered whether this is something that should be included in my online connections.  This is all very new to me, and in time I hope to shape a structure where my readers and friends will know what to expect when they log onto my sites.  Right now, I am still trying to define parameters.  So your response to this in particular would be helpful.

The problem is, my current work, where my creative heart is most focused, will not appear in print for another ten months.  With some publishers it is even longer.  Simon and Schuster wants to have my books in house for over a year prior to publication.

Right now I am working on a new story, and a new series concept, for Bethany House Publishers.  Janette is probably retiring after this current work, due to her health.  I have been in discussions with BHP for some time over a new idea, and they have urged me to begin work this summer.  This initial story, what I am deep into first drafting right now, is entitled Lion Of Babylon. The concept for the series is as follows.  I would love to hear what you think.

A leading trend in the Christian faith is the explosive growth in the number of believers in Africa, Asia and Latin America.  Researchers predict that by the year 2050, only 20% of the world’s three billion Christians will be non-Hispanic Caucasians.  This phenomenon of global Christianity, as it moves beyond European and American traditions, provides a compelling background for a series of contemporary suspense novels.

Each new story will highlight a distinctive moral message, centering on the example and teachings of Jesus.  Such a series will help promote inter-faith understanding within the US, along with a willingness to learn from other communities and cultures.  It will also bring to life in fictional form some of the global social issues which are increasingly addressed by church leaders such as Rick Warren and Jim Wallis.  The stories will blend elements of mystery, romance, political intrigues and spiritual power with unforgettable international settings.

The first of these stories, entitled Lion of Babylon, will deal with the theme of RECONCILIATION.  Set in contemporary Baghdad, the message of Jesus as an instrument of peace is upheld.  The distinctive contributions of Christian-Muslim dialogue help to save lives and re-build communities.

Sean Venture is a skilled but somewhat defiant security expert, based with the US Department of State’s intelligence operations.  He is unexpectedly dispatched to the Green Zone in Iraq – the heavily-guarded hub of American activities in Baghdad.  Their chief of security has vanished.  Acting with utmost speed and secrecy, Venture’s task is to locate the officer before news of his demise threatens both the stability of the region and the credibility of US strategy.  Soon they receive an ominous warning from the son of one of the leading Ayatollahs.  Could it be that the kidnappings are not random incidents – but somehow interconnected in a sinister scheme?  If so, who is behind it and how can they be stopped?

Davis Bunn, a professional novelist for twenty years, has sales in excess of six million copies in sixteen languages.  He has appeared on numerous national bestseller lists, and his titles have been Main or Featured Selections with Doubleday Bookclub, Literary Guild, Mystery Guild, Word Bookclub, Guideposts, and Crossings Bookclub.  He is known for the diversity of his writing talent, from gentle gift books to high-powered thrillers.  Davis has received numerous accolades, including three Christy Awards for excellence in fiction.  He currently serves as Writer-In-Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University.  He is a sought-after lecturer on the craft of writing.