I discovered something about myself at the RWA conference – a dark, and deeply buried secret.

If you know me at all, read my blog, or follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed a certain amount of snark toward certain “girl” things.  I’ve commented about how much I love my jeans, prefer bare feet over pretty shoes, and abhor shopping expeditions. I chop my own wood, kill my own spiders, and live with a Viking rather than a Prince Charming.

While I was at RWA, however, I discovered that deep within there is a little girl who still loves to play dress up. I was somewhat taken aback by the glee with which she reveled in the shiny party dress and the sparkly golden shoes. As it turns out, she also still believes in happy-ever-afters and is liable to be moved to tears at RITA ceremonies.

(She also has developed a ferocious desire for a RITA of her own, but that’s another story. Ahem.)

Serendipity happened.

While I was at RWA re-discovering my inner princess, I received the news that I have been selected as one of this years’ Debutantes over at The Debutante Ball. The timing was flawless. My inner princess is delighted by the talk of tiaras and pearls, and my writer self is thrilled to be counted among this years’ awesome group.

I’m back in my jeans, by the way, but I may just be sneaking the occasional peak at those shiny shoes in my closet. If nobody is around, I might even put them on. Shhh. Don’t tell.

I keep hearing this rumor that people don’t read any more.

It’s a scary thought, to a debut author working toward a writing career. If people don’t read, then who will buy my books? I have had a midnight wakeful moment or two, worrying.

A couple of days ago, a co-worker asked me if I’d read a certain book that just happens to have the word Grey in the title. A few days before that, I received a Facebook message from a friend I haven’t spoken to in several years asking the same question. Now, while I personally wish they were reading some other book, they are reading, and I took their question as an opportunity to refer them to The Siren, by Tiffany Reisz. I figure all of those Fifty Shades lovers out there are going to need more books to satisfy the craving, which means they will be buying and reading more books. By other authors.

And people are reading other books. All the time. Everywhere.

Yesterday, when I was in talking to my supervisor about something, I noticed a hardcover of the new Charlaine Harris sitting on her desk. One of the finance people in our office sits outside during her breaks and reads a book, every single day. Yet another co-worker asked me for recommendations of something to read on vacation.

Even at the Walmart, people are reading. A couple of weeks back my Viking took me to the Walmart photo department to make a poster sized print of the draft artwork for Between. Bless the man, he wanted me to have one on my writing wall, and didn’t want to wait for the final product. Anyway – the woman who helped us with this project said, “will your book be on Kindle? I will buy it. I read a lot of books.” I got a similar response at the shoe store, (yes, there is only one in this town) and at Dress Barn in Spokane from the wonderful woman who helped me choose clothes for writer cons, and from the photographer who took my author photos. All of them interested in books, all of them readers.

Small town, small cross section, but I figure if there are people reading here, in the town of Colville, they are probably reading other places as well.

Even though there is no guarantee that any of these readers will buy my book, I find this comforting.