I’ve been having a lot of conversations in the last week or so about what the Open Your Heart series is about, so perhaps it makes sense to share some of those musings here.

There are, let me start by saying, very many books out there that open the world to people. Self-help books. adventure books. Birdwatching books. Parasailing books. If you want to try something new, the shelves of any library are filled with possibilities, with options, with promise.

And that is not what the Open Your Heart series is about.

I was fortunate to have the exceptionally talented Mary Votava review my book, Open Your Heart with Geocaching, and her comment was that “in a sea of how-to books, Jeannette has finally written a why-to book.” And I really think that that can be a comment about the series as a whole. We’re not offering readers yet another book on a new activity or hobby — we’re sharing ourselves, our lives, our experiences, with them, giving them a sense of the passion that we feel for and through the activity, and inviting them to share it.

Our job, as authors, is not simply to write the books; we’re here for the long haul, to keep the excitement we feel ignited by speaking, by sharing, by blogging, by reminding people that we’re excited and eager to share that excitment.

You, the readers — tell us how we’re doing! What books from the series have you read? Did they excite you? Did you feel the delight and insight experienced by the author? Tell us … because you’re an important (perhaps the most important!) part of the Open Your Heart series!

How are we doing?

– Jeannette Cézanne
www.jeannetteCezanne.com