When we first met fourteen years ago, he knew I was writing and
publishing my stories in magazines. He went with me when I signed my first,
second and third publishing contract. He agreed with me when I decided to...
well, he was always there, supportive no matter what I decided.
The only thing he didn't do was, ever read any of my books,
short stories. I didn't resent that, because I knew he had basically read his
last book in high school. I never thought that Romance could be the genre he’d
read. Ever.
But he surprised me. Truly.
When I got a print proof of my first novel - All That the
Heart Desires - and after I showed it around, shared it with my colleagues
and friends, I had found it last week after I came home from work in the
afternoon, on a side table in our sitting room with a bookmark in it.
At first I tried to remember if I marked some flaw in it, but
then I knew I didn't. OH sat on the sofa with our son Patrik playing his
favourite game with him. I picked the book up and went through it to see where
the bookmark was and it was already on a page 50.
Wow!
Wait a minute! What?
He came home with our children half an hour before me and he was
already on page fifty? 50!!!
"Honey, are you reading it?" I said
innocently.
OH looked at me sheepishly while tickling Patrik and said:
"Yes, I am. Gosh, you could say it's good. The sense of the
details. I saw it all, like I was there."
I was... speechless. Even more, when he finished it in four
days. After he did ~ and he knows I have another one ready to be published, and
another... - he said:
"I really don't know what I'll do tomorrow. When are you
planning to publish the next one?"
'Wait! What?!'
Even our daughter Loris was surprised when she saw him on the
sofa reading. I had to laugh when I had heard her say:
"This is so strange. Mum is cooking (it was Saturday and
I always cook on Saturdays) and Dad is reading? It's so odd."
I know this looks like I'm tooting my own horn, but I'm really glad if I managed to make another reader.
Believe me, in all our history together, I can count on one hand
the times I have seen him reading a book.
p.s. He's already planning our trip to Nice...
Support for our writing is so important. My husband surprised me by reading my first novel in three days (he is not a reader by inclination) then volunteering to proofread the next one. His comments have been invaluable. And he brings me tea in bed...
ReplyDeleteThank you Maggie... and you're right, every little support is important.
DeleteHappy for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you TCW.
DeleteI go back and forth on this one. I have and need my husband's support, but he's a very critical reader. So, I bounce ideas off him a lot and read parts to him while I'm drafting, but we've agreed that once the book is published, he's not to share any criticism he has--I can take it from anyone except him. I'm not sure he's finished either of my books, though, of course, he knows all about them from talking with me.
ReplyDelete@mirymom1 from
Balancing Act
I know what you mean Samantha... criticism is good, but from some people I just can't take it.
DeleteI had a similar experience when my mother ( a stern critic) said how much she had enjoyed one of my Regency novels. It brings a really warm feeling inside, doesn't it? I'm pleased for you!
ReplyDeleteCertainly it's good feeling when our beloved love what we write. Especially when we know that the praise is not faked (we know them that good, don't we?) :)
DeleteI love reading all the comments above! Our partners reading our novels! Goodness, that could go either way, but my hubby and I already disagree on the best way to write articles. He prefers bullet points, whereas I think that is not suitable for the magazines etc. Sometimes you just have to agree to disagree. June I love your site btw - its new is it? The woman on the background image is stunning, very atmospheric and is lovely!
ReplyDeleteThank you Susannah for liking my site. It's just over a year old... so it's pretty new. I have seen the picture in the background years back on internet and instantly fell 'in love' with it. I contacted the author and asked her if she would allow me to use it if and when I'd start to write a blog. She agreed and so here it is.
DeleteBy the way; about agree to disagree... Totally agree with it... ;)