“Give me twenty-six lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.”
I started writing eight years ago, because I had a story to tell that combined my love of politics, current events, and sports. The Jade Harrington series has been that story. Sometimes I think about how my writing life might be easier, if I focused on less controversial and complex topics. Over the holidays, a friend and constant supporter of my work gave me the quote, “Give me twenty-six lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.” Whether it was said by Johannes Gutenberg, Benjamin Franklin, Karl Marx, or all the above, they understood the power of the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, the written word, and the printing press. Words can impact relationships, save lives, change minds, and, yes, conquer the world.
Sometimes being a writer can be discouraging. So when a reader sent me a Facebook message: “You are scary amazing” (which I took as a good thing) and another wrote me a letter to “keep writing,” like these affirmations, this quote came right on time.
If something you read moves you or resonates with you, contact the author. You never know…you might be the impetus to help him or her keep writing.
As this year of dramatic change comes to an end, and as I look forward to a busy 2019—releasing The Divide, completing a standalone book, and beginning the fourth book in the Jade series, I want to thank everyone who bought my books, recommended them to friends, left a review, touted them on social media, and joined my newsletter. It means more to me than you will ever know.
And, to my friend who gave me the quote, on this New Year’s Eve, I stand in gratitude.
Happy New Year!