Book Reviews - Lawrence

What a joy it was to go to http://theliteraryword.blogspot.com and see a book of mine posted there. I read what Charlene Martel wrote about Grapes from the Vine with anticipation, hoping that she had liked it. She did. She said that she had read through it and quickly found a favourite poem and had already read it, Still Centre, several times.

Reviewers have a lot of power over readers’ buying decisions. With so many books out there and only so much money to spend on them, the decision of whether or not to buy the reviewed book may rest totally on the reviewer’s opinions of that book and how the opinions were given.

Reviewers also have a lot of power over how an author will feel for the rest of the day after a review has been seen and read. When I saw the familiar cover of my little poetry book on the computer screen, I gave out an involuntary oh sound. Within that small sound were many feelings—joyous anticipation, hope of a good review, gratitude that Charlene Martel had found my newly published books on-line, approached me and offered to do a review on each book.

The opening paragraph of her review quieted my anxious spirit and left me in awe and wonder of God’s goodness to me through Charlene Martel’s generous gift.

Grapes from the Vine, I read, is a collection of poetry, written by Judith Lawrence, during times of meditation and contemplation of God. Contained within the pages, are 35 beautiful, heartfelt, descriptive poems which are just so filled with awe, love and positivity that this book is truly a joy to read.

We, as Christian authors, are called by God to write and we have a responsibility to fulfill that calling. Reviewers are called by a Higher Power, whether they know it or not, to write book reviews. They are given an awesome responsibility, which can result in an author’s continued commitment to writing, a stalled career, or just a good or bad day.

Thank you, Charlene Martel, for a review that resulted in a good day and my continued joy of writing.