That Tingle

When's the last time you had a physical reaction to a book you read?

For me, it's been a while. But in editing my latest project, I found myself feeling what I call "that tingle." I get an itchy crawl on my scalp and a tingling sensation. Some might say it's a shiver or a cool rush. Maybe a heat flood in the face. I bet everyone has a different kind of physical reaction, but mine makes it clear: I'm reading something unforgettable.

Essentially, I've read something that wowed me to a degree that my body had to put up its hand and get noticed. I've written a few things of my own that give me that feeling. I have a short called "Through the Transom Light" that does it. Another one called "One Hour's Reprieve" makes me shiver once I get to the end. I also have scenes in "Devil's Right Hand," "On The Gathering Storm" and "Bled" that prompt an uncontrollable reaction.

My latest story is called "Mercy and the Cat." It's coming soon -- and it has done a number on me! I get that tingle for the entirety of reading it. It's one of those pieces that seems like it was written by someone else. I'm incredibly proud of it -- and freaked out by how well it turned out. And, in part, that's why I get the tingle when I read it. I'm hoping it will do the same for many of you.