As I was putting together my wish list of folks to approach to be a part of Summer Blog Takeover, this lady was high up on the list. Why? Because one of the things that I find most special of all about the author-reader relationship, she does really well, and that is welcome the reader into her world. Like many of my other special guests on my website, Eryn LaPlant is a published author and she has a very distinct voice as a writer, choosing to not limit herself to one particular genre but following her creativity where her heart and inspiration take her. And that is something I really appreciate as I know that I have many different kinds of books I want to create over the decades to come and I can only hope that my readers will follow me wherever my artistic path takes me. Eryn is doing precisely what I hope to be able to do, cross genres and stay connected with readers.
One of Eryn’s qualities that I find most appealing as a reader is her willingness and enthusiasm to interact regularly with her readers. In fact, I’ve taken notes myself and am going to try to incorporate some of the different ways that she makes that special connection. When I asked her to share her thoughts on the subject of connecting with an audience, she didn’t hesitate one iota and I’m very excited to feature her here today. Oh, and don’t forget to scroll past the blog afterward, to see where you can connect with the talented writer online.
So without further ado, please meet Eryn LaPlant! ~ Chris
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Connecting with Readers Online by Eryn LaPlant
If someone told me five years ago that becoming an author also meant becoming a friend to everyone who’s read my book from all corners of the world, I would have thought them crazy. But the fact of the matter is, being author means exactly that: a friend to those from sea to sea. These lovely people invite me into their worlds by reading my stories and falling in love with my characters. Immediately we have the connection of words and imagination and have a subject to talk about, even if it’s about how much they hate Lt. Col. Reise or Feng Khai, or ‘how could I kill off so and so’. And I thought writing was my favorite part of being an author. Talking about my books and the characters is even better.
One of my favorite parts about meeting readers is finding out about them and what drew them into wanting to read one of my books. For Beneath the Wall, a historical romance set during the Vietnam War, a lot of women and some men picked up the story because they lived through that time period or knew someone who had fought in the war. Every personal story I heard made me feel that what I had written was something special because I was able to touch these people on a personal level. One gentleman, who was a soldier in Vietnam, visited my website after reading the book and sent me an email saying I was able to help him work through some mental problems he’d had buried in his subconscious but couldn’t vocalize until he read Mack’s story. He was grateful and thanked me for helping him heal. Not every reader is like that, of course, but I was so glad I was able to help.
Aside from my website, readers also “meet” me on social media. Oh my goodness, I couldn’t imagine my travel bill if I had written before the internet! If not for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, I would have had to fly to England, Australia, Italy, Russia, or Indonesia just to meet the people I’ve “met” on social media. During one blog tour I took while working on my Falling for Heroes Series, I had research work in London, Indiana, and California; graphic design work in Indonesia; cover work in Russia; and contest winners in Aussie. I remember clicking on my website status and seeing almost each part of the world highlighted as visiting and becoming part of my social media tour. I was simply amazed! Technology can be a bit daunting at times, but I think it’s so cool that as a whole all these countries can work together at the touch of a few buttons. When I was a kid, before the internet was invented, I always had pen pals, girls I wrote to who had similar interests as I did. I tended to strive toward writing to those in other countries rather than sticking to my native United States. Other cultures fascinate me and now, as an author, I love learning about even more places by using my books and stories as a link to meeting new people.
To me, being an author is way more than writing stories and for that I’m glad. I love people and becoming a part of their lives, if only through the stories I write. So tell me, what part of the world are you from? Local or far away, every place is awesome in their own way. And I’d love to hear from you anytime.
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Eryn Rask is quite the Renaissance woman, describing herself as “a woman of many trades…a wife, a mother, an antiques collector, a painter, a baker, a gardener, a photographer, a historian and my favorite by far a novelist (well except the first two in my list).” Her romantic book series Falling for Heroes Series has really struck a chord with readers, sweeping fans of contemporary romance off their feet with FALLING FOR SHOCK and FALLING FOR FREEDOM. She is currently working on her latest novel in that series, FALLING FOR PHOENIX. Her foray into historical fiction has also left fans wanting more with THE BLUE LUTE and BENEATH THE WALL. Eryn is married and lives with her husband and son in Illinois. As you read above, she loves connecting with readers so reach out to Eryn on Twitter at @erynalicia , on her Facebook page, and at Instagram. Stay up to date with her latest book news by visiting her website at www.novelisterynlaplant.wordpress.com.
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