Marla, here, introducing my wonderful friend Cindy Brown. I’ve known Cindy since my first Left Coast Crime back in [mumble mumble]. You may know Cindy from her delightful Ivy Meadows Mysteries, set in the world of theatre, or her “Slightly Silly News,” but Cindy’s new book takes on a more serious tone and I can’t wait to read it!
Today, she’s talking to you, dear readers, about your superpower! And she’s giving away a copy of ECHOES OF THE LOST to one lucky commenter. Take it away, Cindy!
The Magical Power of Being a Reader
I suspect you are unaware of your superpower, so I’m playing Yoda today to encourage you to “feel the Force.”
I love writing. At the best times, stories flow onto the page. At the worst, I have to knuckle down and figure out where I went wrong. But even that is a difficult delight, like doing an especially challenging puzzle.
Publishing is another matter. There may be an author out there who does not suffer the rejections and setbacks associated with getting a book into the world, but I haven’t met them.
This is where you come in, dear readers. Readers are hands-down the best thing about publishing. There is something magical about a sharing a world you created with a stranger. And if they tell you how it affected them— wow! That connection is one of the best feelings ever.
That reader-connection is why my new mystery, Echoes of the Lost, is not buried in a file on my computer today. I love this book. Agents and publishers did, too. They said things like, “gripping and atmospheric,” “brilliant and gritty,” and from “a really talented writer.” Six of them asked for exclusive rights while they considered it. Each one of them held onto the book for a considerable amount of time. And then they all passed, citing marketing reasons.
This back-and forth querying phase lasted years. A publisher finally offered a contract I wasn’t sure about, and I had to pass. It felt like the nail in the coffin of my beloved book.
Enter my beta readers. They loved Echoes of the Lost as much as I did. They kept poking me (in a nice way). They dared me to keep submitting. They reminded me they liked it so much they’d read it twice. One even turned one of my rejection letters into an acceptance letter. if it weren’t for those readers, I seriously believe I would have stopped querying.
There’s more. Once books come out, you readers keep us authors afloat. Not just by buying books, but by reading and connecting. By telling us that you identified with a character, or were surprised by a twist, or just enjoyed the ride. I keep many of the reader emails I receive and read them again when I’m feeling down. I suspect many others do the same.
Writing is wonderful, yes, but it’s the sharing of stories that’s the end goal. “There is a unique joy, the deepest satisfaction and a kind of spiritual appeasement in knowing that something we have made, or worked on, means something to somebody else,” says musician Nick Cave.
You, dear readers, can work magic. Read, read, read. Talk to your friends about books. Connect with your favorite authors. And never forget that all of us readers bring light to authors’ lives, and to the world. As Yoda said, “Luminous beings are we.”
Readers, what makes you want to connect with an author?
About Echoes of the Lost:
Retired cop Ster McCaffery wakes in the dead of night to find a small boy sobbing on his doorstep. Who is the child? Who left him there? And why’s Ster’s porch? Ster’s investigation leads him to Portland’s houseless community, to its deep cold river, and to his past. Only one thing is clear: The boy is in grave danger.
“Brown’s latest, set amidst the houseless community in Portland, Oregon, features heartbreak, tragedy, and violence juxtaposed against heartwarming generosity, bravery, and humor…A superbly written story that highlights the massive social issue of houselessness and that will appeal to those who enjoy twisty mysteries combined with feel-good stories that deliver a strong social message.”
– Booklist starred review
About Cindy Brown:
Cindy Brown’s body of work defies genre, yet her serious crime fiction, humorous mysteries, disability news stories, and comedic plays all share themes of justice and community. She has been shortlisted for an Agatha Award (Macdeath), had over a dozen plays produced, and awarded a disability journalism fellowship by Women’s eNews in 2024. You can connect with her at cindybrownwriter.com, or via The Slightly Silly Newsletter on Substack.
Cindy and her husband live in their favorite city in the world, Portland, Oregon, where she continues to write stories that speak to her, hoping to shine a light on the goodness that surrounds us.
Chicks on the Case 
After I finish this comment I’m heading to substack to subscribe to your slightly silly newsletter. Thank you for the introduction to Cindy Brown.
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Yay! Thanks, Anne! I hope you get a kick out of The Slightly Silly News.
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As a lifelong cross-genre reader, I love it when authors step into a different genre to share a story. Echoes of the Lost sounds like a compelling read and I look forward to diving into it. Congrats on your persistence!
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Thank you! I love cross-genre work as a reader, too.
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New author for me. Exciting.
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Glad to virtually meet you!
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Welcome, Cindy! You are right: readers are absolutely the best thing about publishing (number two being the other authors I have met along the journey).
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Yes! My author friends (like Marla who hosted me:) are another wonderful aspect of being an author. I think the mystery writer community is especially nice – maybe maybe because we drag all teh dark stuff into the light?
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Thank you for this, Cindy, for you are so right. When I’m down, or having a hard time with my writing, nothing helps more than a reader simply saying, “I loved your book” to bring a smile to my face and to get me excited once again about my work-in-progress. Because although we do write for ourselves, it’s truly the readers who keep us going.
Thanks so much for visiting the Chicks today, and hurrah for this new book–it sounds terrific!
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Thanks, Leslie! And thanks for mentioning that those connections support our new work, too. So true!
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Cindy, congratulations on your new book — and that terrific Booklist review! Someone on Threads yesterday was asking if authors like to hear from readers or if it puts pressure on them — they’d written to an author and had wondered if they’d done the right thing — and I was like, “You have no idea how much it means to us!!”
I’m also way more likely to reach out to other types of writers now. A couple of times I’ve even sent emails to people who wrote a really great article or a satire piece in McSweeney’s, because everyone needs fan mail now and again!
Thanks for stopping by the blog today and best of luck with your new release!
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Marla, my friend! Thank you again for offering this post! I’ve now contacted a few authors, too. I am always geekily excited when they respond:)
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Great post!
And it gives me a chance to give a shout out to author Sarah Snider. We found each other through Sisters in Crime to beta read one another’s books. I was a stranger to her and yet, in addition to valuable feedback on the manuscript, she gave me the encouragement and joyful positivity to get my book to “the end.”
As far as what makes me want to connect with an author, I’d have to say complicated, imperfect, authentic characters; if I relate to a character, I just know I’m going to relate to their creator!
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I’m a character-driven reader (and writer), too. People are endlessly fascinating, aren’t they? And “hi” to Sarah, too. So glad you both made that connection!
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Glad you’re here, Cindy–and that you kept pursuing publication for your book! I agree that readers are fabulous; I’ve definitely got my own binder filled with encouraging notes. And, as a reader, I enjoy authentic characters, immersive worlds, and unique voices. 🙂
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Thanks, Jennifer! I really was ready to throw in the towel a few times. Thank God for readers!
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Congrats on your new book! I’m glad it found a home after all that work. (No need to enter me in the giveaway.)
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Hi Mark! Thank you! It’s always nice to hear from you!
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Hi Cindy, so glad to “meet” you again–and thank you for visiting us Chicks today. Congrats on your persistence–and what an intriguing story! An author’s unique voice, if I’m already reading a book, always sends me online or to a bookstore event or conference panel to learn more about them–and the reverse often happens also!
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Nice to “meet” you again, too! I love voice in books, too. It makes me feel as though I know the author personally.
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