From the Desk of J.M. Poole

Hi, everyone!

Just a quick heads-up about what’s been happening with me in the last week or so. At the suggestion of a family member, I contacted Columbine Publishing Group about potentially submitting my mystery series, Corgi Case Files, for consideration. My ultimate goal has always been to get the books into as many readers’ hands as possible. This publisher has an imprint which handles mystery and thriller books: Secret Staircase Books. They were looking for lighter fare cozy mysteries, and they said they “heavily favor series where there are at least 3 books”. Well, my cozy mystery series has 10 released titles at the moment, and I pride myself on keeping my stories light-hearted and fun.

What could it hurt to try?

Long story short, after an email interview, submission of CCF1, a request for an additional manuscript (I sent them CCF8), and a Zoom meeting with the CEO and the head of Editing, I was offered a publishing contract for the whole 10 book series, with first rights to addtional titles in the series. What does that mean for me? Well, that’s easy. I don’t have to worry about marketing the titles anymore. I don’t have to worry about editing, or formatting, or cover design. Secret Staircase Books will now be handling all of it, so the only thing I’m responsible for is writing!

So…. yeah. I’ve been on Cloud 9 lately. I’m really thrilled to begin working with this group and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the series! Now, if you have questions, or have been wondering what it means for the CCF series, I can safely tell you absolutely nothing will be changing on your end. The books will still be available in print and ebook form. I’m pretty sure the cover design will still be handled by Felipe, my illustrator for the last 9 books. The prices might go up a smidge, but for the first time ever, that part is out of my hands.

I do have another CCF title in the works: Case of the Great Cranberry Caper (Corgi Case Files #11). My publisher tells me that, as long as I can get the book completed by the end of October, they’ll make it available for release before the holiday season arrives. Have no fear. I plan on having it done by mid-October, easy. 🙂

My fantasy series will continue to be published by Yours Truly. I’m still working on Harness the Fire (Dragons of Andela #1). Dragons, magic, comedy, and unexpected surprises and twists. I’m having a ball with it.

That’s it for me. If you have any questions, or have been wondering anything, don’t hesitate to post a question about it, or leave a comment. I read all comments on here, and will typically reply back within a day or so. Happy reading!

J.