News Stories: Making it personal

We often become jaded by some of what we read about what is going on in the world around us. It is not often that we get some personal insight into how some of today’s tragic events affect those involved.

I read with great empathy and sadness the recent Facebook posts of 13-year-old Jaden Ramos, whose ‘best father in the world’ was one of the two NYPD cops killed in cold blood last week as they sat in their patrol car. As Jaden puts it, many say they hate cops, but “they are the ones we call when we need help.” When you read the post that Jaden made on December 9^th, for his father’s birthday, the totality of the heartbreak is compounded.

In my writing, I have often been inspired by real events as the basis for my fiction. In this case, and particularly given the holiday season, I wish with all my heart that I could write some fiction that could change the tragic events that have affected Jaden Ramos and his family. Alas, I can sadly only add my voice to those expressing condolences.

Wil

Five years, seven YA fiction titles, and tens of thousands of copies

It is truly hard to believe that December marks five years since I published the first of my books at Smashwords. Now I’ve got seven multi-format eBooks available through a number of online retail sales channels, including Barnes & Noble, the Apple iBookstore, Kobo, and others. I was happy to embrace the eBook format to accompany my print books. Like most other indie authors, my eBooks now account for virtually all of my sales.

In the past five years, tens of thousands of copies of my books have found their way into the hands, or devices, of readers. I’m really pleased with those numbers. What makes me even happier is the response I’ve noted in reviews. My books have been called inspiring, and ‘the most emotional’ ever read, and many other positive things.

More importantly, I hope that my books will have an impact, and that’s truly why I write. I write what I’m inspired to write, and I write for myself.

I will take this opportunity to admit that I’ve not published anything new in the last two years. The extra demands of work have left no time for me to fully complete any of my works in progress. I have, however, continued to come up with new story ideas, and I have a number of them in the ‘story outline’ stage. At some point in the near future, still to be determined, I very much want to spend more time writing. In the meantime, I’m very pleased and honored to note that my sales reports indicate that my books continue to find new readers.

So, thanks for reading.

Wil