Hi, All!
As I have mentioned when my previous books have come out, today is the day all writers dream of. Today is the "official" release date of "Ain't No Harm To Kill the Devil"!!! It's true it has been available in electronic version for a few weeks (because of early demand for the book), but today is the first day the regular book can be purchased at bookstores and through on-line retailers (like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Independent booksellers, and so forth). Thus, this is a milestone day -- and one I will treasure. It isn't just that the book will be on shelves today. The reason the day is so special is it is a culmination of all the adventures, travel, and digging through archives it took to get the story to the pages. This particular book was also special because I had more fun writing this one than any of my other stories. I loved visiting all the Underground Railroad stops, exploring famous historical sites, and visiting with the dozens upon dozens of people who helped me uncover the tale behind this true American hero. It takes me a year and a half to write one of my books -- a year to do the background research, and then it takes me about six months to write it. This puts me on a year and a half "cycle" of sorts for publishing a story, and today is the very special day when every road in the process will finally come together. I'm going to celebrate tonight -- by having pizza and a root beer float. Ok -- that may not sound too exciting, but by eating at home I can get lost in my memories of all the places and people I met who helped me bring this book to life. To me, that is most important of all -- the *experiences* had while along the journey. It is so wonderful to have the book available for all, but my life has been so enriched by the "behind-the-scenes" part of the writing process. And speaking of that, please do remember the journey to write the story is also available in the "companion e-book" that goes with the main book. The companion e-book is called "Finding Fairfield: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of Ain't No Harm to Kill the Devil: The Life and Legend of John Fairfield, Abolitionist for Hire. It is also available today through all e-book retailers. The only catch here is this "companion e-book" is available ONLY as an e-book. This was done for two reasons: First, this is part of a publishing experiment to see if readers do, in fact, like to know *how* writers come up with and write their stories. Second, by making Finding Fairfield an e-book, the cost is very small. I've been asked whether a person should read this companion e-book first or wait and read it after finishing the main book. I don't believe it matters. I believe readers will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look whether experienced before or after. As a matter of fact, all of you could help me with this. After you read the companion e-book, I'd appreciate it very much if you could write me a quick note and let me know if you liked reading it before or after the main book. That knowledge would help me advise others in the future.
Yes, today is a very special day for me. Very special. I also want to thank you, my readers, for your support of my work. After all, without all of you, I could not do what I do!
I hope you enjoy the story (and the companion e-book as well)!!!
JSC
P.S. I'm adding the image of the "companion e-book" for all of you to see today.
