Victoria Logue of Savannah, GA
Michelle Cron of St Petersburg, FL
Bob Schmitt of Cary, NC
Danita Tinker of Covina, CA
Michelle Pruitt

There's still one week to go and five books to be given away, so enter for a chance to win right here on this blog!

Please--only one entry per person.

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"Are there Nurses in your life who have made a difference to you? Did a nurse make a loved one's death a little more bearable? Did a nurse come in and change someone's bandages when you couldn't? Did a nurse give you sample medications at the Doctor's office when you couldn't afford them? Did a nurse make your loved one's stay in a hospital, nursing home or rehab facility a little bit better? If you said "yes" to any of those questions, then get your butt out there and thank those nurses."

I couldn't agree more! Many of you know that my latest novel, Wonders Never Cease, features two nurses working at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles--but what you may not know is that the book is actually dedicated to two nurses at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, Cyndee and Madeleine, whose love and dedication had an enormous impact on our family more than twenty years ago. We love them both dearly and we still stay in touch with them, and I dedicated Wonders to them just to remind them again.

If there's a nurse who's had an impact on your life, be sure to call them this week and let them know how much you appreciate them. And hey, if you're looking for a special gift to send them, I've even got a helpful suggestion...

How about a novel about nurses?

There are even hopeful indicators that people are still reading books, like the fact that today more Americans hold library cards than ever before. That fact tells me what writers know all too well: People still read books—they just don’t buy them.

I’ve lost count of how many readers who’ve written to tell me, “I can’t wait to read your latest novel, but there are twelve ‘holds’ on it at the library.” Or, “I just loved your last book—I loaned it to all my friends.”

Don’t misunderstand—I’m thrilled that people loan my books and check them out from the library. Most writers, I believe, are more interested in circulation than sales. Given the choice between readership and reward, we’ll take readership every time. Unfortunately, the only indicator we have as to how well a book is circulating is how many copies have sold. The NY Times records best sellers, not best loaners.

I’ve often wondered if some of the most-circulated books have less-than-spectacular sales. It leads me to wonder: What is it that makes someone buy a book? How do readers choose between the book they borrow, the book they check out, and the book they want to own?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.