Sep 23, 2013

I Dedicate This Book To.....



This morning I woke to a lovely FB message from an author I don’t know about Driving Her Crazy. She scored it in a goody bag at a conference and freely admitted that as a staunch Presents reader, she never would have picked it up to read it otherwise. But she loved it! In fact she neglected her own writing that day because she just had to finish my book. It was so nice of her to take the time to write and tell me about it too – we authors have fragile egos and affirmation like this is such a pick-me-up. Like all the doubts and insecurities and hard slog of sitting down and writing 50+K words is all actually worth it!

She mentioned also how much she liked the dedication. Which gave me the idea for this blog. I too love dedications. It’s the first thing I turn to when I open a book to start reading it and if there’s not one I feel a little cheated. I feel like I get to know a little something about the author through dedications or acknowledgements.

I know they’re incredibly important to me as a writer. I spend a lot of time thinking about my dedications and they all mean something. Often they’re very deep and personal. For example, I dedicated How To Mend A Broken Heart - a book about the emotional fallout in a relationship after the death of a child - to a friend of mine who had lost a child. I dedicated The Devil and The Deep to my baby niece that none of us got to hold or know when she passed stillborn from this world during the writing of the book. Top-Notch Surgeon, Pregnant Nurse, which deals with adoption, was dedicated to my BFF who understands intimately the heartbreak and sacrifice of entrusting your brand new precious baby to a complete stranger. 

And then there’s the one from Driving Her Crazy mentioned above.

Anyone who’s been following my public Facebook weight loss saga will understand how personal it was for me.

And finally I thought I’d share this one from my Oct 1st release from Momentum – Holding Out For A Hero 

“For my very own hero, Mark, who has never slayed a dragon, leapt a tall building in a single bound or caught a bullet in his teeth, but would if I asked him.”

What about you? Do you like dedications too? Ever read a really good one you’d like to share?

20 comments:

  1. Hey Amy

    I LOVE dedications, and I too read them - always.

    Oh my, your dedication to Mark is just beautiful!!!!! A real awww moment.

    So looking forward to seeing Holding out for a Hero on my iPad!

    Yeah!!!


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    1. Thanks Tina. Mark doesn't know I've dedicated it to him so I'm hoping it will be a lovely surprise :-)

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  2. Amy, like you I love peeping into dedications and wondering about what's behind them. Sometimes it's obvious and sometimes it's clear there's another story behind them. One of the joys of being a writer is being able to include a dedication and just this last weekend I witnessed how the dedication in my upcoming book came at just the right time for someone special.

    Can't say I'm surprised at the lovely feedback you've just received from a new reader!

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    1. Yes, Annie! I love it when there seems to be a real story behind the dedication! How fab that the timing was right for your dedication - very cool!

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  3. Amy, like you I love peeping into dedications and wondering about what's behind them. Sometimes it's obvious and sometimes it's clear there's another story behind them. One of the joys of being a writer is being able to include a dedication and just this last weekend I witnessed how the dedication in my upcoming book came at just the right time for someone special.

    Can't say I'm surprised at the lovely feedback you've just received from a new reader!

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  4. Amy, I love dedications. I have one in every book and they are always meaningful in some way. But I never tell the person about it until I get the book in my hands because a couple of times the dedication has been missed out by mistake. Some things we just can't control. Lol.

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    1. Good policy, Melanie. Have had mine screwed up before too :-/

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  5. I always read the dedications. Fun to ponder sometimes.

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    1. Yes, exactly, Mary - I always ponder the story behind the dedication.

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  6. Hi Amy

    I have to say the dedications are always the first thing I read in a book as well I love them and have been lucky enough to have been mentioned in a couple of books myself in the dedications and I tell you I was smiling for a week LOL. I so love your ones they do always make me smile. I am really looking forward to reading your next one

    Have Fun
    Helen

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    1. Snap, Helen :-)
      Its very cool to be the subject of a dedication, isn't it?

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  7. Count me among the dedication lovers too, Amy. I love them when they're a little bit cryptic as well...it always makes me wonder about the bigger story.

    BTW, love both of the dedications you gave as examples!

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    1. Thanks Michelle. yes, cryptic is always fascinating, isn't it? ;-)

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  8. I love reading dedications. I remember one by Patricia Rosemoor who dedicated the book to the people who finally arrested her father's murderer. It was a great way to kick off a Romantic Suspense story.

    I do think that a dedication is a small insight into the author's life.

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    1. Oops that sounds like I didn't care that her father was murdered. I'm not sure how to express it without sounding bad but I hope you get my meaning.

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    2. lol, Kaelee, we knew what you meant :-) And wow! That dedication would have given me goosebumps and a lump in my throat. Love it!

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  9. I'm always interested in dedications as they give a real personal touch to a book - I'm pretty sure I remember hearing that a male author used one to propose to his wife (or am I dreaming that?!?!?)- that would be pretty cool!
    Yes- and now I've found the link: http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/apr/29/1

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  10. Aww, how romantic! Thanks for the link!

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  11. Ooo, I love your dedication to Mark, Amy! So gorgeous!

    And now I'm off to check out your next release and then to check out that link of Louisa's!

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  12. Amy, I always, always read the dedications and I love it when there are sentences, not just a name. Like others here, I like to find a little story in a dedication. :)

    Your upcoming dedication to Mark is simply gorgeous!

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