Have you ever met someone and discovered you shared something special in common? Like your faith, or even a favorite sport’s team? How about when you discover someone you’ve just met is a reader, and you’ve read the same book—and more importantly, you both enjoyed it?

More than likely there is an instant sense of shared experience. Although it occurred entirely separately, you both inhabited the same world an author created. You’ll know what they mean when they say – “Wasn’t that something when such-and-such happened?”

We’re human beings created to be relational, and part of that is a natural sense of camaraderie over a shared experience. That’s probably why I love going to women’s retreats and writer’s conferences. We’re all there because the venue or the topic specifically appealed to us—so we have that in common.

That’s why I’m so thrilled to be both a reader and a writer. I love the chance to enjoy the bond of story worlds from many angles. When a reader tells me they enjoyed one of my books, or felt as if they identified with one of my characters, there is an instant bond.

So now I’m off to bond with some characters . . . and if I’m lucky, I’ll meet someone who will enjoy the same story world and that bond will spill over to real, live people!

One last word that has nothing to do with The Bond but everything to do with today’s date. Happy Leap Day! I remember the first time I was aware of this date. I was in grade school, perhaps 3rd grade or so. We had a birthday celebration for someone who’d technically turned either 2 or 3 years old, because that was how many “official” birthdays he’d had so far. At the time I thought that was funny and a bit sad, if that was how few parties he’d had. Now that I’m in the 50-plus group, I find myself somehow wishing I’d been a leap baby. Think how young I’d be! Funny how our perspective changes over the years…