Hello fellow readers and writers. A while back, when I had a Facebook profile under my pen name Lou Sylvre, I also had a group named Sylvre Linings. It was a carefully closed group, because all kinds of stuff got posted, some of it definitely NSFW. It was a fun group, but when I lost that profile, I lost it, and didn’t start again. But I like the idea of silver linings (with a twist for my pen name), so whenI was searching for a name for my column, I decided to resurrect the old group name. (I’m also thinking aobut resurrecting the group on Facebook, more about that later.)
So here it is: Sylvre Linings. I’m not quite sure how often I’m going to post, yet—somewhere between monthly and quarterly. Sylvre Linings doesn’t have to be about big, important things, I figure. Sometimes it’s the little things in an author’s (or reader’s) life that make the sun peek out from the mood-clouds and light up the day.
This time, what has me smiling is my recent birthday. Birthdays are often full of celebration, so what’s the big deal? Well, this year, not only did I have a fantastic day with my daughter and grandsons (we went mini-golfing, toured part of a huge collectibles/swap meet, took the scenic route home so I could linger in memory lane, and had a family gathering teriyaki dinner) but also, with the help of my publisher, Dreamspinner, I had a fabulous day with readers.
A little before midmorning, I happened on an image (on Pixabay) that reminded me of a favorite-ish scene in the first book in Vasquez and James series. After a little manipulation and adding text, I had something I hoped would bring a little smile to people on Facebook, and I posted it. The positive response I got gave me the brilliant idea to give the book away—a birthday gift from me (and the publisher) to everyone who wanted it. I have no idea how many books were picked up that day. It doesn’t matter. Because the silver (Sylvre) lining here is about the joy with which people commented, and the joy it gave me to see people still remember that book (and me). It made a huge difference for me. Maybe you know I’ve struggled a bit the last few years, and my writing career took a real dip. Sometimes I feel like people I interact with don’t even know I’m an author. But this small thing let light burst through that cloud. Thanks, readers, friends, and Dreamspinner. It was a happy day.
Here’s that graphic and snippet:
The articles I plan for this column won’t always be about my life as an author. Sometimes they won’t even be about me—and if you have a suggestion for a post, I’d love to hear it. You can reach me at lou.sylvre@gmail.com, I’m @sylvre on twitter, and Loretta Lou Sylvre Sylvestre on Facebook (but you can call me Lou). And what do you think about the idea of starting up the Sylvre Linings group again? This time around, I think the group would be a place for people to post bits of good news, or things that made them laugh, books they loved, moments in their day that gave them joy, even positive moments or outcomes in tough times. Let me know what you think in comments here, or by contacting me in any of the ways I mentioned. If you think you’d like to be part of the group, mention that and I’ll add you when (if) I start it up.
Thanks for hanging with me for my first ever post on QRI, and thanks Scott, Mark, and QRI for giving Sylvre Linings a berth on their shores.
See you soon!
