George Straatman

At the beginning of this year, I made the difficult decision that I would offer my entire catalogue of novels (which currently stands at eleven, with a twelfth and thirteenth to follow in the not too distant future) free of charge. There are a number of reasons that inspired this decision, but in the name of brevity, I’ll confine my explanation to the two most pertinent. After several months of honest introspection, I finally was forced to admit that I possess neither the aptitude, nor the desire for self-promotion (as one would quickly glean if they were to bother to check my paltry social media footprint)…an aptitude that is essential for an indie author’s chance at acceptance and recognition. Even more damning is the fact that I choose to write in a neoclassical style, the appeal of which is confined to an extremely miniscule segment of today’s reading devotees.
After more than thirty years, it is time to accept reality and stop flogging this particular dead horse. I toyed with the notion of completely removing my works from the various outlet platforms, but decided to offer them for free instead. Recalling the motivation that had inspired me to start writing in the first place, I realized that a less money oriented individual would be a challenge to find and I was driven by a desire to share my creative efforts…these tales of epic fantasy and dark horror with those who might appreciate reading them as much as I enjoyed scribing them.
Thus, the e-book versions of my novels will henceforth be free on Smashwords and all of their distribution channels…Barnes & Noble, Apple, etc. Unfortunately, Amazon does not allow for authors to offer their creative works gratis and they will remain available through that platform for a nominal price (I will remind readers that Amazon does price match). The paper version of my novels are available through Amazon, but for a price that most might find prohibitive for a comparatively unknown indie author.
My aspiration now is simply this; I hope that readers who happen across my works will take the time to delve into the poignant, heartfelt tales of these characters for whom I’ve developed such an affection while setting their stories to paper. Both the Journey fantasy series and the Converging supernatural series (a classification I roundly detest) are nearing the ends of their long arcs. It is my hope that the day will come, after the last word of each has been set to paper, when, as an even older man than I am now, I may sit on a bench near the St Lawrence River in Quebec City and read both series from start to finish…and draw my own conclusions on their relative worth.
For those who do delve into these tales, over which I have labored so long and lovingly, and which you may now enjoy free of charge, I have only one humble request. If you do make your way to their endings, please leave a rating or review on the site from which you obtained the book. I ask this not with a mind to accruing cash or notoriety…only for the wish to see Elizabeth, Lorio and my other creative children’s tales reach as many readers as possible.

George Straatman

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Website: http://www.georgestraatman.com/
Twitter: @Geoconverge
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