About a year and a half ago I got a P.O. box for reader mail. It’s been really rewarding and fun and I’m sometimes shocked by the number of people (children and adults) who still take the time to write letters to a stranger who wrote a book they liked.
My drive to our little local post office and checking my box has become a little jump into the unexpected. Writing books is like putting messages in a bottle and letting them drift away on the waves into the unknown. Expectations aren’t always high. Sometimes, though, when a voice of appreciation floats back on the current it’s just the best thing. More than you’d hoped for even.
So this is me saying thank you, to everyone, for your letters—and especially to those of you who I haven’t written back to. I can’t promise an answer to every letter. In fact, I have a pretty poor track record for correspondence. But I am getting better about it, and I can promise you that every note I’ve received has been read and treasured.