Gratitude journal: Unexpected reader response

Tonight I am grateful to the readers who take the time to write to me after reading my books. I received three emails today from readers who recently finished one or both of my books, which is a lot of responses for a single day but not uncommon at all. I probably hear from about half a dozen readers a week via email and Twitter, but today was an unexpected bounty of generosity and kindness.
Before publishing my first book, I could have never imagined how often a reader will sit down and write an email to an author after reading his or her book. It was shocking. It both humbles me as an author and shames me as a reader, for I had never even thought of doing this until I began receiving reader responses myself.

Best of all, these emails always seem to arrive at just the right time:

The manuscript I am working on has hit a snag.

The revision process for a book is grinding on forever.

My plans for spending the entire day writing have been quashed by the unexpected events of life.

Fear of failure has begun to creep into my soul.

These are the moments that I often need a pick-me-up, and yesterday was one of those days.

These three emails came at just the right moment.

I am so grateful to these readers for their outpouring of support.