That One Time I Found a Life-Changing Book by Accident

Okay, so picture this: I’m deep into one of my least glamorous tasks—doing keyword research for Amazon. I’m tired, I’m scrolling, and my brain is about as inspired as a blank Word doc. Then, out of nowhere, this title pops up like it knows me personally: Hearts Run from Broken Lies: A Journey Through the Labyrinths of Truth.

Dramatic? Yes. But also kind of… irresistible?

I had zero expectations. Never heard of the author, Laugine Lindberg. Didn’t know the book. But something about it—maybe the emotional punch of the title or the fact that she’s a first-time novelist—hooked me. As someone who’s written nonfiction but dreams of writing a novel someday, I get what it means to put that first story out there. It’s terrifying. And brave.

So I clicked “Buy Now.” No hesitation.

A few days later, I’m in Spain, the sun is doing its glorious Mediterranean thing, and I open the package like it’s a message from the universe. I take it out to the terrace, grab a coffee, and start reading. Boom. I’m in.

Lindberg’s writing isn’t overly polished—and that’s exactly what makes it so good. It’s honest. It’s bold. It doesn’t try too hard, which somehow makes it hit harder. The characters felt real, like people I’d actually met. People who make mistakes, feel deeply, and figure things out one messy moment at a time.

By the time I finished, I had more than just reader feels—I had writer envy. I was already analyzing what made the book work so well. Was it the rhythm? The conversations that felt like eavesdropping? The emotional gut-punches?

Whatever it was, it worked. And it left me thinking: maybe I don’t have to wait until I’ve got it all figured out to start my novel. Maybe the first book doesn’t have to be a warm-up. Maybe it can be the one.

So now that book lives on my shelf, not just because I liked it, but because it lit a fire. A quiet one, but steady. And all because I was doing keyword research.

Moral of the story? Sometimes you find the book you didn’t know you needed while looking for something completely different. And maybe—maybe—that’s when the best stories find you.