Buying Candles

Every writer has a favorite creation, and thus far, I consider my best book to be Candles in the Dark (John Wiley & Sons, 2002).  I hate telling people that the book has long been out of print. 

This past year, however, I've been buying up used copies.  Most of these, I've discovered, are well-read.  In fact, I've not been able to locate a pristine copy of my book for some time now, which tells me that those who bought the book seemed to enjoy it and they actually used it.  The pages are frequently dog-eared or tattered, and on many occasions the owner wrote his or her name inside the cover.  I feel like calling these folks or trying to locate them on the internet, but they probably wouldn't associate my name with any book they have read.  I'm not memorable.  And people aren't standing in line to purchase my next title.

Candles in the Dark is a good book and I'm glad I wrote it.  It was by far the most ambitious project I have written, was years in the making, and actually cost me pocket money securing certain foreign rights (which, for some reason, fell into this author's lap and required that I make numerous overseas phone calls and talk to people who answered the phone: "Hello, much pleasure to help you . . . my name Peggy!").

With the advent of Kindle, however, Candles is still available.  That's a good thing about electronic media.  And I've noted that some people have actually purchased copies of Candles in the Dark in Kindle format.  God bless 'em.

I wish that Candles hadn't blown out of print so soon.  Sometimes I'd like to light it up and lead a sing-along. 

But book publishing, alas, is mostly a fleeting thing.  Like a candle in the wind.