Hello everybody!

As we enter spring, I'm filled with a sense of renewal and growth. Cheesy, right? Actually, 'filled' may be a bit of an overstatement. It's more of a less-than-empty feeling if I'm being honest. But that's progress, and these days, any small bit of inching forward is a good thing. 

Now, this may seem insignificant, but since I began writing, my only hope was that people would read my books and enjoy the stories. In the first 22 months after publishing 'Misplaced and Forgotten', I had some sales and a handful of mostly positive reviews, but both seemed to stall out after the first few months. I made the book available for free on Kindle Unlimited at the same time as it went to print and got excited when I saw over 1000 pages read back in May 2023. I thought it was just the start of making a name for myself as a new writer. [Side note: "Page Read" counts on Kindle Unlimited pay the author a fraction of a penny per page read.]

Then, crickets.

I was disappointed that so few people were reading my book, but I didn't let it get to me. I love telling stories, so even if I'm only telling them to a few family and friends, it's worth it. Hell, if I'm the only one that ever reads one of my books, I'd still keep at it. I'm not above laughing at my own jokes. The thought of giving up never really crossed my mind.

Enter 2025.

I decided to update the cover and make a few revisions to 'Misplaced and Forgotten' as I was waiting for my proof copies of the book I had just finished writing, 'Beyond the Great Divide'. With the new book set to release at the end of January, I figured that maybe there'd be a few people who would pick up the first one around that time. Instead, 'Misplaced and Forgotten' started getting read as soon as the year began. And then continued being read more and more. As I write this blog during the first week of April, I've had three straight months of my highest page read counts since publishing. 

If you had asked me late last year about my lifetime goal of pages read, I'm not sure I could have honestly considered 10,000 even possible. Now, thanks to those who have taken a chance on an unknown story by a no-name writer, I've surpassed that number and then some (and have been getting more reviews too!). I'm not sure where this will end up, but if I can finish 2025 at 20,000, I'd be beyond thrilled.

So, if you're reading this, THANK YOU. If you've read one of my books, THANK YOU MORE! I'm still in the early stages of the next story, but I can't wait to share more details. Until then, keep moving forward.

W.J.