I'm Back

And now something completely different --- I'm back. I found my blogspot site and updated it and here I am typing away. To get things started, I'll post my most recent letter to famous author Stephen King:

December 28, 2006

Stephen King
PO Box 1186
Bangor, Maine 04401

Dear Mr. King –

I was looking at the photo of you in the book jacket of “Lisey’s Story” (a gift I received for Christmas) and after reading several chapters (Darla and Lisey are in the diner after taking Amanda to the home), I realize that maybe you couldn’t stop writing, even when you wanted to... When I read you were retiring, I remember thinking “No way!” and then I thought, “Well, it’s about time and he’s given me so many good stories.” I also thought “Now who will I read?” I read other authors – Crichton, Grisham, Cornwall, to name a few – but not one compares to your style. I am a big fan – not of Number One Fan status, mind you (I’ve managed to miss every appearance you’ve made on one broadcast or another, radio and television), but I have read every thing you’ve written since you began including most magazine submissions. I’ve written to you a handful of times since my first reading, at 14 years of age back in 1979, of “ ’Salem’s Lot,” which scared the shit out of me, by the way, and which I also could not put down until I was done – Grandma was quite startled when she headed to the privy at 4:00 am and ran into me.

So, I’m looking at the picture in the book jacket and I see an older Stephen King, without those dark, thick glasses or that dark hair and I think “He doesn’t look happy – maybe resigned, or even a little bit sad.” Perhaps, to take it a stretch further, you look as if you’d welcome the final sleep, because then the stories would be silenced forever and you could finally rest. I’ll never know, of course. Selfishly I was glad that you kept writing – I love the way you write, the images you let loose in my head, the real way you develop the characters so that I feel for them, and that I call out to them when I see trouble coming and how I laugh out loud when one of them ‘gets off a good one.’ (I even hold my breath until I get to the end of some chapters – during “IT” I almost passed out several times.)

And I really felt close to you when I’d read those letters to the Constant Reader in the front of a lot of your books. I could pretend you were writing to me, letting me in on a secret and I really enjoyed the small peeks into your creative life.

The point of all this is that I just want to thank you for all the years of your tales. You are a very engaging writer and have made my life fuller with the depth of your characters and stories. Even when Roland began again in the end (ka is a wheel, baby), and my husband swore and cursed you, I just smiled. You are the KING.

Thank you,

PS...because I just went to the website for the first time in forever and see new publications: “The Secretary of Dreams” and an excerpt from “Blaze.” I have printed the excerpt and will order the graphic shorts. I also like the section which lists what you are reading, listening to and watching in theaters – I’ll check out a few of those authors. Thanks again and keep ‘em coming.

So that's it - my latest letter to Stephen King, my all-time most favorite author.
I will post something else equally exciting tomorrow. Tune in, won't you?