When a Reader Says the Thing Every Writer Hopes to Hear

Friday, January 2, 2026, Orlando, Florida

When a Reader Says the Thing Every Writer Hopes to Hear

One of the quiet joys of being an indie author — tucked somewhere between the formatting headaches, the bouts of self‑doubt, and the occasional wrestling match with Kindle Create — is the moment when a reader reaches out and tells you that your work mattered to them.

Not in a grand, cinematic way.
Not in a “changed my life forever” way.
But in a deeply human way.

Yesterday, on my New Year’s post “New Year, Same Writer, Slightly Fewer Dramatic Sighs,” I received a comment from a reader, P. J. Gudka, that stopped me in my tracks. It wasn’t long, it wasn’t elaborate — but it was exactly the kind of message that reminds a writer why we keep showing up to the page.

Here’s the exchange.

4 responses to “New Year, Same Writer, Slightly Fewer Dramatic Sighs”

P. J. Gudka — January 1, 2026
“I’m so glad you were motivated to share the books; they really have been some of my favourite reads at a time when I was only just starting to get back into reading. They were part of what inspired me to keep reading.”

Alex Diaz‑Granados — January 1, 2026
“Thank you so much, P. J. That means more than you know. When I wrote these stories, I hoped they might resonate with someone out there — but hearing that they were part of your return to reading is incredibly moving. I’m grateful you took a chance on Jim Garraty and his world, and even more grateful that the stories stayed with you. Readers like you make all the long nights and stubborn drafts worth it.”

P. J. Gudka — January 2, 2026
“You’re most welcome. I’m glad I took a chance on the book, too, since it’s not a genre I generally venture into, but I think sometimes change is a good thing and even needed.”

Alex Diaz‑Granados — January 2, 2026
“I’ve done some research into what genre my stories fit. It turns out that Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, and even Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen aren’t strictly ‘romance’ stories — they’re general fiction. They are labeled as ‘romance’ on Amazon because we authors are asked to categorize our content for the algorithm, but even though love and romance are key elements of Jim Garraty’s tale, there’s a lot going on that you wouldn’t find in a genre story like Bridesmaid by Chance. So, really, you didn’t read a ‘romance novel’ when you read Reunion: Coda; you read a ‘novel with romance.’”

Why This Meant So Much

Writers don’t always get to see the ripple effects of their work. We send stories out into the world and hope they land somewhere soft. We hope they find someone who needs them. We hope they resonate.

But we rarely get to hear that they did.

So when a reader says, “Your book helped me get back into reading,” that’s not just a compliment. That’s a small miracle. That’s a reminder that stories matter — not because they’re perfect, or marketable, or algorithm‑friendly, but because they connect one human being to another.

And when a reader says they took a chance on a book outside their usual genre? That’s trust. That’s curiosity. That’s a gift.

On Genre, Labels, and the Algorithmic Maze

P.J.’s comment also nudged me to reflect on something I’ve been thinking about for a while: how my stories are labeled.

Amazon asks authors to choose categories, and sometimes those categories don’t quite fit. Yes, Jim Garraty’s world contains romance — but it also contains grief, memory, friendship, aftermath, healing, and the quiet work of becoming a fuller human being. It’s general fiction with a romantic thread, not a romance novel in the traditional sense.

Readers like P. J. remind me that people are willing to cross genre borders when the emotional truth of a story calls to them.

A Small Moment Worth Celebrating

So today, I’m celebrating this exchange — not because it flatters me, but because it affirms something I’ve always believed:

Stories find their readers.
Sometimes slowly.
Sometimes unexpectedly.
Sometimes at exactly the right moment.

And sometimes, if you’re lucky, the reader writes back.