AJ Alanson Author

Yesterday, I had one of those moments where there was only one purchase on my Amazon Sales Dashboard. I know, I should be crestfallen, opening up to view my meager revenue from writing books and finding…only one e-book purchase, but it never feels like that to me. In the back of my head I hear, “Oh, hello,” as I imagine that one individual who bought my work. This doesn’t happen when there’s two or more, just when I feel like I’m meeting someone new, one-on-one, for the first time.

Don’t get me wrong, I love me a thousand sales, this is my full-time job after all, but somehow, just this time, it was, say, Martine, who bought my book. She sits in a coffee shop, leaned back in a one of those soft chairs back by the exit, tablet in one hand and a cup steaming in the other and throughout my day, I watch. Where in the book does she smile? Why did she frown? What made her laugh? When does she pull the tablet close to read “that” scene? It’s only $3.45, but to me, connecting with one person is priceless. Especially in these times.

I tap my pen on the desk top. The book Martine bought was #2 in the series. That might means she read #1 and maybe, just maybe, she’s tucked in for the rest of the twelve-book arc. I don’t blame her. A getaway at The Admiral Inn for a few bucks is a steal. Wrapping herself in small-town community somehow feels restorative. Solving a few local mysteries, most long-dead and buried, are just the troubles Martine wants to borrow. Walking beside our hero as she wrestles her personal devils maybe feels like we can manage our own.

Just right now, seeing the world through June Faust’s eyes could be better than looking out the coffee shop window at our own. And maybe, Martine emerges from her mini-stay at the Admiral Inn refreshed, having added a few more tools to her cope kit, felt the warmth of friends and family, and perhaps found a sliver of hope. If that’s what I can do for thousands of people, one-on-one, I feel like I’m contributing to what’s right with humanity, not…

If you want to read what Martine’s reading here’s A Dragon in the Bookcase, but I suggest starting at the beginning of June Faust’s incredible year, A Devil in the Donations. You can take it from there. I don’t solicit reviews, nor do I pay for them, or play some shell game to pretend I didn’t pay for them. If you like the books, leave a nice review. To me, that also feels like meeting someone one-on-one, just like opening up the dashboard and meeting Martine.