Being swept away with a book
By Lynn Cahoon
Last night I sat thinking about the first book I remember reading. Not so much the words, or the characters, or even the plot. I remember how the book made me feel.
A Wrinkle in Time was the book, and I had visited the library early that Saturday morning while my mom and step dad shopped. As their day in town continued into the night, I sat in the car, transported from the small, railroad town to another world. Safe in the pages of my book, I didn’t worry about the darkening night or the people walking by. I’d found my refuge from the world.
Many years later, I lived in a small ranch with my husband and my pre-school son. I loved the house because from my reading chair, I could see the front and back door of the house. I felt safe there. And when I read, I again felt transported. This time, the book was Stephen King’s The Stand. And as I followed the characters as they wound their way west fromNew York toColorado, I felt like I was taking the journey along side them.
When I look back on the memories of my life, a book always surfaces that I pull from the time. In high school, The Lord of the Rings, was my safe zone. A place where I (and my group of band geeks) could escape from the trials of high school. I remember reading Gone with the Wind one summer day and being unable to stop reading, even to sleep.
There have been other authors that have transported me from every day life to a place where I could step back and let my subconscious relax from the crazy life I lived. And sometimes, re-reading the book allows me to find that peace. But sometimes, the read fails to reopen those emotions. I wonder if it’s because I’m a different person now, than when I first read the book.
My debut, The Bull Rider’s Brother, released this June from Crimson Romance. And I have two more books scheduled for release this year. As a new author, I hope that my words and stories can transport someone from their current life or situation, at least for a moment.
Paying it forward, one story at at time.
So what books have made an impact on your life?
Lynn Cahoon is a contemporary romance author with a love of hot, sexy men, real and
imagined. Her alpha heroes range from rogue witch hunters to modern cowboys. And her heroines all have one thing in common, their strong need for independence. Or at least that’s what they think they want. She blogs at her website, A Fairy Tale Life.
Lynn’s Website www.lynncahoon.wordpress.com
The Bull Rider’s Brother – Crimson Romance June 2012
Shawnee, Idaho is known for two things. Amazing salmon fishing and the first local rodeo of the summer. For four friends, growing up inShawnee, meant one thing, making plans to get out. Five years later, that wish has been granted for all but one. What happens when they all get together again changes five lives.
When James Sullivan visits his hometown’s rodeo weekend and learns that his high school sweetheart had his child – six years ago – Lizzie Hudson’s world is thrown into turmoil. In THE BULL RIDER’S BROTHER, James struggles with family and Lizzie questions the risk of love.
Available at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/The-Bull-Riders-Brother-ebook/dp/B008195C2I ), Nook, Google, and iTunes.
The Bull Rider’s Manager – Coming soon.
Thanks for having me – today’s been a busy day with an author speaking at the library. Gotta love a day that ends with talking about books.
Great post Lynn. I remember reading Gone With the Wind. I took me five days, but I finished it. I think I was 12 or 13. Some of the books I really remember were; The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Below the Salt by Thomas B Costain (and pretty much all his books). I also read the unabridged version of The Stand. So many great books that impacted my life. I may have to go back and reread some of them.
Hi Diane – I’ve never read anything by Ayn Rand or Thomas Costain. I’ll have to add that to my list.
And yeah, the Unabridged Stand is way better…
I love how you found places that made you feel safe enough to let yourself be transported into the worlds found between the pages of books.
I’ll never forget how I felt when I read A Knight in Shining Armor. I love it so much, I couldn’t wait to find more stories that took a modern day woman and threw her back in time.
Ohhhh, A Knight in Shining Armor sounds wonderful. Another book for my to be read pile.
Thanks for stopping in.
Hi Lynn,
I can so relate how you feel about books. They have been my friends when I was alone, transported me through time when I was bored. The best books are when you continue to think about the characters long after you finish the book.
Selena
Selena,
Gotta love books. Love it when my characters continue to haunt me.
I remember reading the Little Bear books and Bread and Jam for Francis. Like Francis, I tried to eat my food so it all came out evenly, and to this day, I don’t understand when people eat one thing on their plate at a time.
Thanks for the memories, Lynn!
Francis – books – I’d forgotton about them. Too funny that you still identify with Francis and his eating habits. I had a Mama Bear hat from one year at a FHA convention.
Hi Lynn, oh my gosh, I’m reading Gone with the Wind right now, for the first time!! I don’t know how I didn’t read it before, but it is amazing on every level!! But that wasn’t my first book. I can’t remember my first book, to tell the truth!! Might have been Peter Pan (also amazing at any age!).
Amanda? Wow. I loved reading Gone with the Wind. I think (besides The Lord of the Rings) it was my first BIG (size) book.
I loved Peter Pan too.
Lynn, your book sounds great.
One of my favorite authors was Dr. Seuss. I absolutely loved HORTON HATCHES THE EGG. So much so, I painted Horton and his baby onto my college dorm door.
Mary – that sounds so like you! Thanks for stopping in.
Wow, Lynn! This reminded me so much of my childhood and how I escaped into books! Great blog!
Thanks for stopping in Jodi!
I vividly recall being so in love with The Lord of the Rings that I seriously wanted to redo my teenaged bedroom so it would resemble a hobbit hole. And for three days straight, I kept missing my stop on the subway when I was reading The Stand. If that book had been any longer, I might have lost my job at the time for being late so often!
Thanks for the fun book memories. There’s nothing better than being swept away by a great book.
Maura, isn’t that the truth. So loved TLOTR!
Lynn, I just can’t choose! Can I choose authors instead? Kelley Armstrong and Susanna Kearsley come to mind.
Susanna Kearsley wrote a book called Mariana that was recently re-released, but I read it years ago. It’s still on my keeper shelf, even though I can’t bear to re-read it, because something bad happens to a child in it. I have mentally re-written that part.
I haven’t read either one of these. Yay, new authors to check out.
I really identify with books as friends, too. A couple were ‘comfort’ books that I re-read at uncertain-stressful times of my life. They were old friends, for sure.
The first book I remember reading was a book of fairy tales/myths that had been a part of a set of encyclopedias that my mother bought me when I was very young. I was swept away to other lands with those exciting stories. The King Arthur stories introduced me to knights in shining armor–and I still love those guys LOL.
Great example Barb! I love the Knights Templar series written by Kathleen Kurtz (?) A little bit of magic never hurts.