Friday, March 21, 2025 - See Previous Newsletters

-

A few days ago I received an email from a reader who was laid up in the hospital for two weeks, in a lot of pain.

She told me that reading Outback Diamonds had been a welcome escape from her suffering. 

One thing she said that struck me was that when Elaine Brogan was lost in the Australian Outback, dangerously dehydrated and starving, with no idea if she would live to see her family again, this woman considered her own situation and thought, "It could be worse."  She told me that even though she was only reading fiction, she took great solace in that.

I can relate. Last year, our younger daughter (6) was diagnosed with diabetes. Coming to terms with the fact that she would need daily insulin for the rest of her life to survive was a heavy blow, something I had a hard time dealing with.

One way I got through it was by telling myself to look at the positive, that it could have worse–there are plenty of conditions far more serious than diabetes.

Also, I escaped into my own fiction.

Sophia was in the hospital for a week while they taught us how to care for her, and as I lay there beside her in the hospital bed while she slept, I was able to finish Marilyn's Secret Lipstick. We authors use fiction just as much as readers do for our own escape from the pain that life sometimes dishes out.  

Anyway, I'm happy to report that Sophia is fine—the sunny, delightful spirit she's always been. Except for the little sensor on the back of her arm, one would not know she had any kind of condition, and I'm so thankful for that.

News About Kindle Unlimited

Well, after nine long years, I have finally caved to Kindle Unlimited (KU). All my books have been put in that monthly subscription library..

If you're a member of KU, this is great news—you can now read all my books as part of your monthly subscription. 

If you're a hardcare Apple, Nook, Google, or Kobo reader, it's not such great news. Unfortunately, Amazon demands exclusivity for books in KU, which means you'll have to buy my books from them.  That is, my older books. I will probably make all my new releases available for the non-Kindle readers for a short time before putting them in KU, either via my online store or the retailers.

Why did I make this decision?  I had no choice. These "streaming" services are a terrible system for artists of all types. We earn much less money than we do if readers buy our products (books, songs, movies) outright. 

But you know what? We earn even less if we keep our products out of these libraries, because we become less and less visible. And I'm convinced that the subscription models for entertainment is here to stay, and the user base keeps growing.

It's interesting to note that Paul McCartney resisted nine years before he finally allowed The Beatles' music to be offered on Spotify. He realized the same thing I have, I suspect.  

There's simply no fighting these ebook subscription services. And, I have to admit: they're great for readers, just as platforms like Spotify and Netflix are great for music and movie lovers.

Here's the biggest irony of all: we, as a family, have subcriptions to all three libraries—Spotify, Netflix, and Kindle Unlimited!  So my resistance to moving my own books into KU, and frowning on publishers and authors who did, was a case of me throwing stones from a glass house. Those three subscriptions cost us about $35 a month, which saves us a lot of money--if we were buying all that entertainment piecemeal, it would cost several times more.

So, I guess this boils down to a case of "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."  

Responses to My Last Newsletter Question

I want to thank the seventy-five some odd people who took the time to answer the question I asked in my last newsletter, which was what they hoped to see when they opened these emails. 

Most responders, naturally, said that they hoped to see a new book coming (another is on the way–more about that soon). 

A number of you wanted to know more about what's going on with me in general, not only with my writing. So I will try to do more of that, as I've done a bit in this one.  

Also, a few suggested I give more info about my book offerings shown at the end of the newsletter, so I have improved that a bit.  It's pretty hard to organize, I finally chose most popular first.

I again thank all who responded to the question–it truly helped.

Have a great weekend!

Mike

P.S. Have you read all my books?

Catch Up on the Lust, Money & Murder Series With

These Discounted Trilogy Boxed Sets

More 'Unputdownable' Books by Mike Wells
(Click on the photos for full synopses)

International Crime Thriller - Lust, Money & Murder (Series)
The deeper she goes, the more she risks becoming a criminal herself.

International Crime Thriller - Outback Diamonds
In the Outback, trust is the most valuable gem of all.

International Crime Thriller - Marilyn's Secret Lipstick
The past never stays buried.

Crime/Psychological Thriller
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Crime Thriller - The Drive-By Wife
Takes "home invasion" to an entirely new level.

Crime Thriller - Renata's Revenge
They. Picked. The. Wrong. Girl.

Crime Thriller/Serial Murders - With Mother's Approval
A mother's love is eternal. For some, it's lethal.

Romantic Suspense - Forbidden (Series)
Temptation has its price.

New Adult Sci-Fi Adventure - Wild Child (Series)
You don't choose the green water...the green water chooses you.

Horror/Black Comedy
Babies always know...and they don't forget.

Technothriller - The Tesla Secret
Unlocking Tesla’s free energy secret could power the world...or end their lives.

Technothriller - Blind Scorpion
He could walk away a hero...but for which country?

YA Sci-Fi Romance - The Mysterious Disappearance of Kurt Kramer 
Lost in between worlds, will his heart lead him home?

Romantic Comedy - Secrets of the Elusive Lover
He plays the field, but she changes the game.

Coming of Age Suspense - The Wrong Side of the Tracks
First love in the teenage hell known as high school.

Book-Related Merchandise

. .