Author Melanie Wells's ambitious campaign

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I've been a fan of author Melanie Wells ever since I read her first novel When the Day of Evil Comes (Multnomah). So when she announced the I Told Two Friends campaign, I knew I wanted to help spread the word.

Here's a special message from Melanie about the ambitious I Told Two Friends campaign:

Hi. It’s me, Melanie.

Someone asked me recently – why literacy? Why would anyone give away $100,000 (100% of my profits from sales of My Soul to Keep) to teach illiterate adults how to read? (Okay – fair question. I admit it sounds a little crazy. It’s not like I’m dripping with cash).

Two words: compassion fatigue

Here’s the deal. I support several causes vigorously and regularly (and so should you!) In fact, if you’ll notice, each of my books centers around a cause. When the Day of Evil Comes concerns family violence and suicide. The Soul Hunter references violence against women and lost teens. And My Soul to Keep is about child abduction. I don’t write about these things because they’re morbid. I write about them because they’re IMPORTANT.

But the truth is, I sometimes feel exhausted and overwhelmed by the number of problems out there. Don’t you?

Illiteracy, it turns out, is linked to just about every evil under the sun. Child abuse, poverty, disease, hunger, violent crime, violence against women, HIV/AIDS… . You name it. In fact, illiteracy is one of the FEW things in this world you can actually do something about! A little money goes a LOOOOONG way. And the ripple effects are exponential.

Did you know 33 million adults in the United States can’t read at an 8th grade level? Do the math, folks. That’s 10% of our population. Wow.

17 million American adults can’t read well enough to earn a living wage.

62% of prison inmates are illiterate. Imagine getting out of jail and trying to make a new life for yourself when you can’t even fill out a job application. Do you want that guy back on the street with no job and no skills? Or do you want him to have every opportunity to become a productive member of society?

774 million adults worldwide are illiterate. 2/3 of them are women.

If a mother can’t read, chances are her children won’t be readers either.

It all adds up to one simple thing. A literate population is a healthier, safer, and more productive population.

If you’re reading this, I guarantee you that you take the ability to read this sentence for granted. Millions of other Americans can’t read it. They can’t read the aspirin bottle either. Or the street signs. Or a note from their kid’s teacher.

Most of us are completely unaware of this shadow population. How is it possible that millions of adults in the richest country in the world can’t read? (Click on Rosetta’s story. She’ll tell you all about it.)

The I Told Two Friends campaign was designed to give you a simple, painless, fun way to share the gift of literacy with millions of Americans. All you have to do is buy a couple of books, give them to two friends, and ask them to do the same (and so on, and so on, and so on…).

25 bucks and two friends can change the world. YOU can change the world.

Join us and be part of the solution!

Melanie

Visit the I Told Two Friends website to learn more!

My Soul to Keep by Melanie Wells

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Today I want to bring to your attention a terrific new book by author Melanie Wells. It's the featured book this week at the CFBA. My Soul to Keep is the third book in Melanie's Dylan Foster series featuring her character . . . uh, Dylan Foster. :)

I was hooked on Melanie's writing ever since I read her first novel When The Day of Evil Comes. Actually, I listened to it on CD during a looooonng car ride, and it made the miles fly by, let me tell you!) And then her second novel Soul Hunter was another terrific read.

This is character driven suspense at its finest with just enough quirkiness in Dylan's character to allow for some lighter moments as well.

But there's nothing light about this premise. A young boy is abducted right out of the park, with his mother, Dylan, and others all nearby. Is it the work of Peter Terry, Dylan's personal demon (literally and figuratively)?

Read a great review of the book here by my friend Dale Lewis.

I recently interviewed Melanie about My Soul to Keep at TitleTrakk.com. Here's the first question:

C.J.: Let’s start right off talking about My Soul to Keep. This is Book #3 in the Dylan Foster series, and a child kidnapping plays a huge part in the novel. What made you decide to write a book dealing with a parent’s worst nightmare?

Melanie: The previous book, The Soul Hunter, makes it clear that Peter Terry is after little Nicholas, so once again, the characters decided the plot and I just followed along. I became very sensitive to crimes against children while I was writing this book. That anyone could intentionally harm a child – it’s so awful, I can barely think about it. It was an emotional book to write, for that reason. Even though the characters are obviously fictional, they’ve become very real to me and to so many readers. And of course, this sort of thing happens every day.

Read the full interview here.

Melanie Wells (Advice for Novelists, Part 12)

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The great advice keeps pouring in! Here's talented novelist Melanie Wells' answer to my question:

"If you could say one thing to aspiring novelists, what would you say?"

Write write write. And let people read your work. Toughen up and listen to what they have to say. They’re your readers, for crying out loud. You work for them.

--Melanie Wells, author of My Soul to Keep, When the Day of Evil Comes, and Soul Hunter. Visit her online at her website here.