감사합니다, Korea!

Okay, I don't know what's gotten into you, all the way on the other side of the world. I don't know what interests you, but I have this to say ...

감사합니다!

My dear twenty Koreans, thank you for reading one-hundred twenty pages of my stories. Thank you for your interest in them. But tell me...

Why?

What spurred your interest, inflaming it to a heat that sustained you through all those pages and pages of hurt and comfort, anxiety and tenderness, all that ...

All that drama! In English! About teen-aged girls with teen-aged problems and angst!

Is there something in my stories that reaches across the world, all the way to you in your homes or on your commute to work or to school? There must be, I suppose, and that 'it'?

I'm grateful for it. I'm grateful for the kindness and care of a total and complete stranger (me) could reach out to you, and touch you in a way that you read, then read more.

I hope in what I've written that your day is a better one for you.

I see the moon, and the moon sees me. God bless the moon, and God bless me.

This is a prayer I pray for you, my dear readers in Korean, and across the whole world, as I look up at the full moon and marvel that I've written something for someone looking up at the moon tonight, too, and then, sleeping, sleeping peacefully and happily, dreaming of Rosalie and her little Lizzie, or dreaming of Bella and her Rose.

Good night, my dears.

love, geophf

Sing with the fishies? No: swim with the angels!

It's 4:30 am here on the East Coast of the U.S.A. After having published a new chapter of my story "My Sister Rosalie" last night at midnight, the writer in me woke me up at 4 am to check my stats ... nothing gobsmacking this time, so I could weigh in, I could go do some work, I could do a pre-dawn run (I'll do a morning run later), I could grab a little something to snack on...

Instead I'm resisting all temptations (except this one, writing this entry, of course: a writer knows she must strike when the iron is hot, that is: in the moment of inspiration, or it will never get written and will be lost forever among the hundred, the thousand other thoughts she has to share, but never will, because they're lost, forgotten, carried away by the tidal pull of the day and the mundane tasks that pull her away from the keyboard): instead of a piece of dried fruit, or a crushed-nuts-and-seeds wafer, or some chips and dip, I grabbed a bottle of water, and now I'm putting my head on my pillow, and am going to do what comes naturally in this darkest before the dawn hour: sleep.

Good night, my dears. It's a comfort to know your reading this now, not sleeping, as I am, or you glance at this, and decide: 'eh, I'll sleep now, instead. I'm tired.' ... just like me.

It feels good to be a part of a community who understands and is struggling with the same things I struggle with. It makes the fight less burdensome, more worth it.

'nite. zzzzz

Japan, Malaysia, Kazakhstan

Last month 3,225 pages were viewed by 1,208 people from around the world.

Thank you.

Of course, the biggest readerships came the English-speaking countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia (thank you).

But there were some surprises in this for me this past month.

Japan, a country whose readers have studiously not read my stories, ever, came in early this month with one reader viewing 21 pages, then, twice more? or two more readers contributing a total of 63 pages views. Japan was number seven this month.

Malaysia, another country I've never noted activity had one reader or two contribute 34 page views, and a new story follower for MSR.

Okay, and finally, Kazakhstan? Seriously? What in my writing attracted a reader or two from Kazakhstan. I don't know one word of their language. I don't have friends from there. I've never set foot in their soil. Why would somebody from there be engrossed in what I have to say about two girls stuck in a cabin in the old American West?

Each time I look at these stats, I cheer for the countries that read my works. "C'mon, Brazil," I say, "you're so close to beating out Germany for fifth!" And the people read what they read, and they win, taking something away from their reading, and I win, knowing you, in your country, are finding something in what I write.

Now, new paragraph, new thoughts.

What was read this month was also quite interesting for me.

The first surprise was ch 40: "Rule Number One."

Holy F-ck! "Rule Number One" got 46 hits from 18 visitors? That means it was reread an average of twice? Holy ... Crow! What in the world prompted this attention to this crucial chapter.

More surprising? Ch 56: "Nagging - Regrets" ... okay, my worst chapter almost got 40 hits? Were people catching up after my 3-year hiatus with me?

Then, ch 73: "totus tuus" at 96 hits. Do you know how much hate I got for publishing that chapter? Do you know which chapter gets the most views? Why the disconnect? Why hate me for writing it if the majority of you love rereading it?

Then the most recent three with 150+ hits each, of course.

So. "Rule Number One," huh? Really? Tell me why. Preferably by reviewing that chapter, hint-hint.

Thank you. I love you, too, my dear readers.