I’ve worked from home for more than forty years. As a consequence, one day tends to flow into another. That makes “three day weekends” particularly troublesome. That’s why, this morning when I crawled out of bed, it was a shock to realize that I was already a day late in writing the blog. So here goes.
When I started out as a writer of “genre fiction,” I often told people that I wrote books “with no socially redeeming value whatsoever—the kind of books you could buy at better bus depots everywhere.” (Question: Do bus depots still sell books?)
I believe I’ve mentioned before that forty years’ worth of fan mail correspondence has resulted in any number of email-based relationships and, in some cases, valued friendships, too. (Don’t expect me to apologize for calling for a welfare check on a blog commenter who went quiet for more than a week. Turns out I wasn’t wrong. She was actually in a hospital at the time.)
In those notes, people tend to share things with me that they might not discuss with the folks next door. This week I heard from a gentleman who spent more than twenty years in AA. After his beloved wife passed away a number of years ago, he lost his way and started drinking again. He wrote to me this week saying that he was back on the right path and had just earned his two-year chip. When you’re living life one day at a time, earning a two-year chip or any chip, for that matter, is a big deal.
He told me that after he purchases and reads one of the Beaumont books, he drops it off at the free-to-good-home shelf in the church basement where his AA meetings take place. Then he asked me an interesting question—do I ever hear from people whose lives have changed due to reading my books. The answer to that is YES. That’s especially true of After the Fire, the book of poetry which recounts the story of my 18-year journey with a man who died of chronic alcoholism at age 42, a year and a half after I divorced him. One woman told me straight out that reading After the Fire had saved her life. Another told me that reading ATF had shown her for the first time what she’d put her family through.
But for some people, saving lives is true of the Beaumont books as well. His stories are told in the first person. When I first encountered him, back in 1983, he was a divorced homicide cop living in Seattle. He couldn’t work all the time, so I had to have him do something when he WASN’T working.
Writers are supposed to write what they know. After spending eighteen years with a problem drinker, I happened to know a lot about drinking, so I had Beau do that. In my mind, his downing the occasional McNaughton’s was nothing more than a bit of stage business. By book number four, however, my readers began to ask me if Beau had a booze problem. Eventually they got my attention enough to realize they were right. (The denial that had once been present in my real life ended up being just as much a part of my fictional one!)
Book seven was the beginning of Beau’s having to come face to face with his problem. Book number eight had him in treatment, and he’s been in recovery ever since.
I was still writing paperbacks when I did a book signing at a Fred Meyer in Seattle. Most of the people at the signing were there to do grocery shopping, but I noticed one guy lingering in the background who seemed out of place. He was dressed in worn Levi’s, was tattooed up and down both arms, and had a pack of Camels tucked into the sleeve of his T-shirt. Eventually he came up to the table and told me his story. He’d been a bartender all his life, but when the doctor told him he had to stop drinking or die, he ended up losing not only his job, but also all his friends. So he leased a vacant, down-at the heels tavern and opened a non-alcoholic bar. He wanted to know if I’d be willing to do a signing there, and I was. The people from the Seattle Mystery Bookshop who handled the book sales said it was the scariest place they’d ever seen, but the customers who were there were glad to see me. By the way, the wall behind the cash register featured a collection of dishonored checks. Sad to say, I don’t believe they stayed in business very long.
Then came a visit to the Texas Book Festival which was held in Austin. As I was signing books, I noticed a young guy who was standing in line. He had a toddler on his hip and was grinning at me from ear to ear. When it came time to sign his book, he told me his story. He was someone who had a developed a serious drinking problem from a very early age. Eventually his mother got him started reading the Beau books. In watching J.P. deal with his issues, that young man learned to deal with his own. When I met him that day in Austin, not only was he a reasonably new father, he had also just signed on as a cop with one of the smaller jurisdictions in the Austin area. The last I heard, he had been appointed chief of police.
So when I tell people that I write books “with no socially redeeming value,” I know that’s not really true. Some of my readers have shown me otherwise.
Your books are also very educational, regarding so many issues, and doesn’t education have value? And how many of us would know anything about the culture of the Tohona O’Odham (I know I’m not spelling it right–I mostly listen to audiobooks) without your books?
Interesting blog. Love all your books, never miss a one. Beaumont books are my least favorite. Have a wonderful summer in your beautiful part of the world.
I don’t have a drinking problem. However I do have an eating problem that tends to have me on the heavier side of heavy. I also have an addiction to spur of the moment shopping on Amazon, or believing ads on the reels. I just received the titanium cutting boards and the Solar Power Banks. There probably is a couple of stories in there for you I’m sure.
I have a husband with Dementia and my brother’s wife died of Alzheimer’s. If you have a book about either one it would be a best seller.
I love your books. I really like Ali. Yes, and Beau.
I have also been one of your readers who related to Beau. I found my first Beau book when searching Amazon for books on Vietnam. That was the book he had the dreams of Vietnam (I think book #22?). I have since read and re-read all the Beau books. Your books are very redeeming for many. Thank you so much. I could go on, but I’ll leave that for another day.
After the fire was on the mark. Good to know we are not alone.
I was flying out of Richmond and went to the news stand for a, guess what?, newspaper. None. So I told the cashier, “Aha, a news stand with no news.” She shrugged.
I have written to you before to tell you how much I have enjoyed all of your books…yes, I have read them all except the last one. Im on a waiting list at the local library. When I have found your books in paperback, I pass them on. I saw how the man passed his books on to the church where the AA meetings were held.
Maybe you could pass something on to your fans about passing your books to others. I have been “adopting” soldiers for decades now and sending a care pkg with a book is so important . Passing the time in off hours with a good book means so much. Maybe someone would be inspired to adopt soldiers and do the same. My current soldier is stationed in Egypt and she loves to read….what could be better than that??
Love your blog J.A. You are such great story teller. I just bought you new
book. Our Barnes and Noble in our town closed and the nearest one is 50 miles away.
I was delighted to see you new book in Wall Mart yesterday and will start reading it today.
Keep on writing, especially about J.P. Beaumont, my favorite of your
characters.
Every time I read one of your books…and I am a chronic re-reader…I learn something new. I often find myself searching for something that I first read about in your stories and needed to understand better. In fact when we made our wills I was able to tell the lawyer that I wanted the bequests therein to be per stirpes, so many thanks for that. I also grew up with an alcoholic parent, who managed to straighten his life out on his own…for which I have always been very proud of him. Thanks for making my life better.
I am confused. I have a list of all the books, I thought by number. Amazon says Over Kill is # 18 and I had Credible Threat and then two others that followed that one, all in the Ali series. Then they have The Girls From Devil Lake -Joanna Brady book 21 and I had 21 as Missing and Endangered and after that was a crossover with Walker Blessing of the Lost Girls.
How did I get this so messed up
Because characters don’t necessarily stay in their own series. Beau crossed over into Ali in Unfinished Business.
It is wonderful to know that “books with no redeeming social value” have actually put people on the right path. Congratulations, you are doing something right!
The way you write about Beau’s alcoholism is very believable. I have/had several family members who were alcoholic, many who are/were in recovery. Your books are an entertaining, non-judgemental way to shine a light on the issue.
No one in my family had a drinking problem, but we ALL had a gambling problem. There was a poker game at one of the aunts or my house nightly. I learned to play cards as soon as I could sit on a stack of telephone books at the table. After marriage and children, I still had my weekly poker game with the girls, my husband had his weekly with the guys and usually there was a couples game on the weekend. There was also the 3 or 4 times a year weekend trip to Vegas. I’m talking penny anni, [no one bet the farm] and no one died of gambling complication. So, I didn’t catch on to Beau’s problem until it was announced in book #7. Beau is still my favorite, although I love Joanna and Ali. Hopefully, I will be getting my paperback copy of DOI next week.
Blessing to you and Bill.
Your books inspire goodness and greatness. Two goals thar are much needed today. Keep writing, keep inspiring. Thanks.
Your books inspire goodness and greatness. Two goals thar are much needed today. Keep writing, keep inspiring. Thanks.
All of your books have socially redeeming values, and you have changed many lives, including mine. Thank you.
Your post this week warms my heart. I have over 6,000 books on my Kindle, but whenever I’m feeling lonely (my ex divorced me 21 years ago for having MS and breast cancer) and need some comfort, I always turn to one of your books, even if I’ve read it several times before. At my age (71), Ali is my favorite, but I’ve read everything you’ve written and also love Joanna and Beau. I’m sure you are a great source of comfort to many, many people. Thanks!
The ripples in life’s waters that flow from the effect of your pen have made MANY lives infinitely better. Whether through character’s life or an plot’s connection to a real world element, we are better for the reading and the pondering of the view through YOUR mind’s eye.
Redeemed… yes indeedee… saved, rescued, justified, vindicated, regained, recovered, reclaimed.
Thank you.
Inspiring!
Your books do tell a story to people that carry a meaning.
We don’t, at least I don’t think we do, have a non-alcoholic bar in Seattle; however, we do have a non-alcoholic store in the Greenwood area.
Also, Sandy Haug fell and has two black eyes, a huge bump over her left eye, and a hairline fracture on her left knee and is currently in rehab. I know she reads your blog but not sure she comments on them.
I really enjoy that your books are about people who have the same struggles as people in the physical world! I now mostly listen to your books when I’m in the car and they have taken me many places!
Thank you for keeping your books real!
It is so uplifting to hear how books can touch the heart and mind of the reader and lead them to change their lives. I am one of them. My wife and I had some difficulties in the mid 2010s but with determination and sacrifice (and lots of reading including your books), we got back on track and, despite some further bumps in the road, we have survived.
Lou
Very interesting blog from you today about “books with no socially redeeming value.” I discovered your books while at a huge book sale in Phoenix – the VNSA annual sale. Back in the day, as they say, the price for paperback books was 50 cents to $1.00, so it was a very affordable way to try a “new” author. One year, I splurged on a whole bunch of your books, with most of them being from the Joanne Brady series. I am caught up to “Blessing of the Lost Girls” and waiting for the release of your next Brady book. At the same time, I am starting the Ali Reynolds series, and have read a handful of the Beaumont books. I have enjoyed all of them, especially the Brady books, and consider that initial book sale investment to be one of the best finds for me in recent years! Please keep up the work! Take care.
SO VERY COOL to read specific examples of how unbeknownst to ourselves, seemingly casual (or not so casual) comments impact others. Over the years after retiring from teaching high school for 35 years, former students have contacted me to remind me and to thank me for some comment I made when they were in my class. I have no memory of the statement, but I always say, “That sounds like something I would say!” Warms my heart.
Considering the many thousands of students who went through my classes over those years, my hope is they picked up coping mechanisms that helped them live their best lives.
That is really neat. I spent a lot of time working with inmates in a penitentiary and booze was the source of the problem for a good share of them. They started AA while in and I’ve seen some since then and they are still sober. Your books about Beau touch on many of their problems
As a EMT, I have responded to a lot of calls involving acohlics Some were in wrecks. Others would be stupors. It was always great to see them get help and stop the drinking. Their health improved and attitudes toward life changed. They had gotten the help they needed. Their families loved them more.
Having been married to an alcoholic for 7 years I’m very familiar with the disease from the Al-Anon perspective! I started a group in Wyoming! I even attended the family session at Hazelton which he refused to stay for! With 2 children to raise I finally had to pull the plug! Our lives were negatively affected but not ruined by the disease and the divorce basically because of our relationship with God!
There is absolutely nothing I can add to the wonderful comments already made. I hope it’s clear that we appreciate you and the fact that you make us feel as though we are part of your various fictional families…and your very real one! I am so grateful for all the books I’ve listened to (I listen because if I read, I go way too fast and miss important details). You have great narrators, and I appreciate that, too! You have always seemed approachable, which goes a long way.
I have related on a gut level with Beau.
Just celebrated 39 years of AA recovery.
Thanks for keeping it “real”!
I know for a fact that I identify as with the Beaumont character. My father was an alcoholic up until 20 years before his death . I gained insights about being an alcoholic from your books. They helped me deal with my father’s life. Thank-you.
Judy,
Come this August 8th I will have been in AA for 50 years. And I can remember the last day I drank like it was yesterday. But I can remember each of your books the same way. I do find though that once I pick one up I can’t put it down till I finish it, so you have caused me many sleepless nights. Thanks for that!
It must be very rewarding to have that kind of impact from your writing. I think that is why I enjoy your books so much… stories involving people with “ real lives and real problems”.
The only one I haven’t read is ATF. I’ll have to find a copy.
Thanks for sharing your talents with us!
Many writers never really know the impact their books have on their readers’ lives. Very glad that you’ve seen the impact on SOME of your readers. For every one whose story you’ve learned, there are certainly dozens more whose lives you have impacted that you will never know about. Keep on writing!
Loved your blog and was very impressed by the number as well as the content of the responses from your loyal readers.
This is a great blog. I love Beau!
Your Joanna books were especially helpful to me as I took on a manager role in my career. I loved how she worked through issues with the staff and I learned a lot from her and you. Finding Beau later was a nice plus and so glad he has stayed sober!
Your books haven’t changed my life, JA, but reading them during rough times has helped me trudge more happily and optimistically through life. <3