Fatal Illusions Going Out of Print

Fatal Illusions Going Out of Print

Yes, it’s official. Kregel Publications recently informed me that Fatal Illusions, my first published novel, is officially out of print. Out of print? What exactly does that mean? That means sales have not been sufficient to warrant a reprint, and all remaining copies of the novel, once kept in a warehouse, have been sold away (though if you go to Amazon.com you’ll still see some copies for sale). Kregel basically “bought” ownership of my book for five years, and now the book is back in my hands: lock, stock, and barrel. Is this reason for despair? Not at all. This is pretty routine in the publishing industry. While every novelist would like to see his or her novels being published and going through countless reprints infinitum, let’s admit it: most novels just don’t sell like hotcakes forever, if they sell decently at all. Is this disheartening? Well, yeah, it can…

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The Value of Free

The Value of Free

Recently, Kregel Publications ran a special sale of my first novel, Fatal Illusions, and then offered it free for one day, July 10th. If you missed out on the freebie, I’m sorry about that. I would love to have offered it free for several more days, but I had no control over the special sale. The freebie delighted me for several reasons. First, I have a good number of author friends who are pursuing indie publishing and speak highly of offering their novels for free on occasion. So I’ve often watched them offer their novels for free and wished I could do the same. Second, as anyone who watches me on Facebook knows, I love freebie Kindle books too. I love to download them, and I love to share them. I’d also put a lot of time and work into this first novel, and I was excited about folks being…

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Remembering Delores Forsmark

Any writer would do well to reflect on those in the past who had a part in molding his or her understanding of the written word. After all, without teachers, where would any of us be? So today I wish to honor a special lady who made a tireless impact on a multitude of Michigan students in her English classes for forty-four years. When I look back at my youth and reflect on those who especially encouraged my early interest in being a writer, after my parents the next major influence was Delores Forsmark, who went home to be with the Lord on September 9th. I felt so sad when I heard the news, and then memories took over from there. “Mrs. Forsmark” taught me English and literature at Genesee Christian High School in Burton, Michigan, between 1983 and 1987 (she taught at GCS a total of twenty-two years). But that’s not…

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