One On One With L.M. Ross

I recently received an extraordinary surprise and I'd like to share this with everyone!

Yesterday afternoon, following lunch, I completed several more chapters of the book, The Moanin' After and logged back onto my computer. I decided to check my personal e-mail and noticed one titled, "L.M. Ross says THANK YOU ..."

So I sat at my desk mumbling, "yeah, whatever, probably Amazon.com thanking me for purchasing the book or something." As my pointer hovered over the delete icon, I noted the e-mail wasn't from Amazon.

‘Curiouser and curiouser’, I thought.

I opened the e-mail and discovered it was from L.M. Ross, the author of the book I'm currently reading!

‘Yo, no way! This can't be! I must be trippin'!’

Initially, I assumed it was hoax however, as I read the opening paragraph, a sensation crept over me and I realized this was genuine. Suddenly, that sensation turned frosty and my heart beat more rapidly as I thought about my negative commentary regarding his grammar usage. Would Mr. Ross be offended? Nevertheless, it turned out Mr. Ross was a valid, authentic, bona fide gentleman and incredibly amicable concerning those issues.

Mr. Ross thanked me for the kind words and was extremely pleased I had received something valuable from his work. Moreover, he expressed his regret about how the book did less than expected. I was admittedly shocked since the favorable reviews outweighed the negative on Amazon. The context of his second novel is significantly more profound than his first and I was simply beside myself that he wasn't received better.

This afternoon, I replied and encouraged him to not give up on his talent as I sensed some frustration in the tone of his original e-mail. He's an exceptional writer and clearly deserves a superior publisher. Mr. Ross is undoubtedly gifted and I predict we haven’t heard the last of him (thank goodness!) Lastly, I conveyed my thanks for recognizing my site and revealed how his book has motivated and stimulated my inner artist.

I can’t lie, I was a bit star struck. Let's face it, it's not everyday a published author actually takes the time to contact a reader (at least it’s never happened to me). That act alone made me feel extremely honored.

Nonetheless, I experienced a mixture of exhilaration and trepidation. I'm ecstatic that a role-model in the SGL community acknowledged me however, I'm fearful that the hidden presence of other well-known individuals will cause a “subconscious censure.”

Since I created this blog, I've been straightforward in my style of writing. I speak purely about what comes to mind even if with an absent audience. Blogging is therapeutic and allows me to establish an identity and expunge detrimental emotions. I rarely edit or regret my posts or comments and haven't apologized for any negative perspectives. Yet now I find myself wondering who is out there in cyberspace … watching.

I'm going to try and continue writing as openly and honestly as I can. Mr. Ross exuded a kindness that merely increased my confidence in my opinions. Consequently, the message in his books ("cherish your Art") has awakened my musical desires and I've got something huge in mind. In the meantime, I'll post my final review on The Moanin' After in a few days.

Once again, I’d like to convey my gratitude toward Mr. Ross for his correspondence and to everyone else, go out and support this brotha who is making waves in the pool. You won't be disappointed. Trust.