This is one of my most prized possessions. A fan mail. Only one of two fan mails I've ever received. The other, which I cherish as well, came in the form of an email from someone who had listened to some of my original music and songs on a compilation CD which somehow ended up being played in a bed and breakfast located somewhere in Taos. I've misplaced that email, as I have a lot of other electronically conveyed correspondence received over the decades. Maybe I'll find it again someday, just as I did this letter only a few hours ago. I thought I had lost it too, and so glad I didn't.
The best thing about this fan mail is that it's an old fashioned letter. Brief and to the point, it was very neatly hand written, signed, placed into an old fashion envelope, sealed, a stamp stuck to one corner of it and dropped into a mailbox by a complete stranger–an avid science fiction reader who was given a printed copy of a novel I wrote a few decades ago titled FLUXFAZE. A mutual friend had given it to him to read and asked him to provide an opinion on it. The next best thing is that this fan had read a lot of sci fi and was still impressed with the story:
Joe,
A mutual friend, ___ _________, introduced me to your book "FLUXFAZE". Since I prefer to read science fiction over anything, he thought I would like it. He also asked me to let him know how it was. I told him and now I'm telling you, in one word, Excellent!
I have read everything from Azimov to Zelazny and I do hope you continue, because I feel you have definitely got what it takes.
Thanks,
<fan signature>
This letter was received eight years before I finally decided to establish a creative services company with that same name, and now in retirement building this so-named web site fluxfaze.com. It arrived in my PO box back when I was printing the novel using one of the first laser printers to hit the market and hand binding it into manila folder covers carefully cut, printed with title, twin dolphin graphic and my name, and all glued together using a hot glue gun and shop vise. A lot of work most people would have considered a total waste of time, effort and money, but I had a lot of fun creating about fifty copies which may still be floating around, sitting on bookshelves (or rotting away in landfills) somewhere out there.
The novel has been retitled "REACHERS" or "REACHER" (I struggle with the title) which is still only self published on the publications page of this web site. Now well into retirement with lots of time to spare for such things, I've started writing the second novel of the series titled "REACH WARS". I hope to have it published here as well before or, at most, by this time next year. I'm also considering submitting it to giant publishing company's under the more sexy pen name Colby Sparcs. I've received nothing but rejections so far. Maybe this will do the trick.
Winter is arriving in just a couple of days. My favorite time of year to write a little speculative fiction, falling into the page (as Stephen King so aptly put it) to live and write of the adventure as it unfolds in my mind. Weather forecasts a strong arrival of winter with lots of wind and possibly lots of snow. I hope so. Sitting by the fire writing a new story while a blizzard howls outside, shaking the house, will be a perfect way to get the new story started.
To the writer of this fan mail, I hope I've located your current contact info so I can let you know were to find the existing novel now in epub format and illustrated, as well as the new novel as it emerges. This first-draft mindmap of the story flow may give you some idea of what is coming next. And thank you for your letter. If I never receive another from a fan, yours more than suffices.
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