Have books ever spoken to you? I don’t mean”speak” in the usual way by content that informs, challenges, encourages, or inspires, but rather … well, let me back up a bit.

Like most writers, I get discouraged from time to time. It’s not easy writing historical fiction. I need to come up not only with the right words but with accurate history. Sometimes I simply get stuck. Many call this writer’s block. I call it the “ebb.”
Writing reminds me of the ocean tide. The waters go out to sea but they always come back. So also, there is an ebb and flow in writing. On rare occasions, the waters recede very far and all is silent for a longer time than usual, but just because the tide has gone out does not mean it’s going to stay there. In fact, the longer it stays, the more forceful is its return. Like a tsunami the waters come rushing back with great power. When my tsunami comes I can’t type fast enough.
Recently I found myself in the ebb stage. That’s when books spoke to me. They were random books pulled from my shelf for a photo shoot — a little bling to enhance the facebook post for my newly published novel. After changing a weak battery in my camera and getting the light just right, I took the shot. Then I downloaded the picture and viewed it on my computer screen. Whoa! It was a photo of a stack of books, yes, but also a message of encouragement just for me.
Did the books speak to you too? Perhaps, but real hope is found not in a book or on a book. It is found in a person–Jesus Christ. The Bible is full of more messages of hope and encouragement than any book ever written. “May the God of hope fill you with “a tsunami of” (or all) joy and peace as you trust in Him.” (Romans 15:13)