It’s been a busy few months as we begin the summer of ’26.

Here’s kind of a roundup of things that I may not have mentioned already. And a hint of things to come.

First, having only two books published and being a self-published author known only to people in the region where I live and social media contacts, I don’t expect to make a fortune with online sales. My focus is and has been on personal appearances.

I didn’t do much at all with my first book, Delta Blue. I let people in the community know, had a launch party at a local hangout, did a couple of events at Book Gallery in Greenville, and attended a small festival that I was invited to. This time around, I’m better positioned to do store signings, register as a vendor, have a trailer made and do some advertising. I had a press release made that was distributed nationally. So far, I only know of one online publication to run it. I have since sent it to several newspapers in Mississippi. The Delta Democrat Times ran it, but I don’t know of any others. Also, IngramSpark did their promotional thing once I launched there. Hopefully, some stores and libraries will order copies.

Here’s a recap of what I’ve done so far: stocked a few inside the Malkin Gallery at E.E. Bass Cultural Arts Center; attended showcase for authors at First Regional Library in Hernando, Mississippi; participated in May Book Fest at Book Gallery; visited Lorelei Books in Vicksburg, where I left some for the store and will have a signing on July 4; participated in Juneteenth in Mound Bayou; and had a signing at Next Chapter Book Shop in Leland. The Next Chapter signing was my most successful to date.

I’ve reached out to Lemuria in Jackson and Barnes & Noble in Flowood. Signings at either or both are possible. There are still a few more stores I want to reach out to. Upcoming events I’m booked for are the Mississippi Gulf Coast Book Festival in Gulfport on August 8, Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival in Greenville on September 19; Teddy’s Bear Fest in Tallulah, Louisiana, on October 10; and the Delta Hot Tamale Festival on October 17.

“Wait a minute,” you might say. “You’ll cross state lines for signings?” This was a no-brainer. Tallulah is about 20 miles across the river from Vicksburg. Maybe an hour and a half from where I live. I could do the event and be home that night.

Oh, and I’ve entered an international book competition.

It’s been a great ride so far, but not without some annoyances. Mostly in the form of unsolicited emails from operators (for want of a more definite term) who want me to buy their promotional services or something else. They do a great job of describing the story, using information that can be gleaned from the press release or the descriptions at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IngramSpark. In other words, while they tell me all the things they like about Innocent Souls, none of them have read it. A few have other offers, which I may or may not engage, but most of them are the literary equivalent of vultures.

When I wrote Delta Blue and Innocent Souls, I didn’t think of them as a series. Can you have a series with just two? Because I had no plans for a third. The links between them are location, a small group of returning characters, and both stories were inspired by true events. I hadn’t thought of a third event that could generate another story.

The key word there is “hadn,’t.” While explaining to one of the aforementioned operators why I didn’t promote them as a series, I think I talked myself into a third book. I can’t tell you what the event was. Not yet. But there will be a third Delta Blue story at some point in the future.

But it won’t be my next.
The next title, which I hope to publish in 2027, is Dead Man’s Vengeance. I also have others on the back burner, so to speak.

I’ll be giving occasional updates on events related to Innocent Souls, along with snippets of things about the story and its characters that aren’t in the book.

Stay tuned.