I know the title of this entry might not make a lot of sense, but I have been e-mailed by some of you about mystery book authors who are being dropped by their publishers. Some of these authors have several books in their series and are not being given the opportunity to wrap up their existing series.

At the same time >>>

It also seems like some authors are being given the opportunities to start second and even third series. This, of course, is great for those select authors and their fans, but not so wonderful for the discontinued authors and their fans.

Another trend that seems to be VERY BIG is the omnibus craze. Again, there’s a positive for some: You can buy two or three of an author’s books in one book, but if you’re already the author’s fan, you have probably read all of those books. So, it’s not such a great deal for the author’s fans.

I guess I wish that rather than being treated to the omnibus selections of “select” authors, publishers would keep publishing the mystery books of the not so “select” authors. It seems like new and original mysteries should be given the opportunities that the reprints/reissues are given. Is it that much more profitable for a publishing company to rehash three books by an author in one tome VS putting out a new mystery by a lesser known author?

I guess the “buck” (as in “$”) stops here…

I read rather slowly these days. I just find myself doing other things during the times of day that I used to spend reading.

I used to get a lot of reading done during the late hours of the night. I use a small flashlight and lay on my side— and quietly turn the pages of my mystery books. I guess I should use the past tense on that, since I am on a medication that pretty much zonks me out at night after reading just two pages.

It is for that reason that I already started my Halloween mystery books. When I told my daughter I hoped to finish the Halloween mystery book that I started a week ago, her response was “I should hope so!”

Well, thanks to four sleepless/restless nights before and after my air travel days, I was able to read my first Halloween mystery, finish my audio mystery book, and get through the first half of a new audio book. (I had only packed one “real” book for my six day visit to Colorado Springs… Surely, I thought, that would be enough!) Instead of “reading” in bed, once I finished my one “real” book, I lay in bed and listened to my audio books. Unfortunately, this meant that my audio book continued to play while I was zonked out… which meant that I did a lot of rewinding every time I woke up… which was several times a night. Not the most conducive way to get your ZZZZs!)

I love that I’m reading more these days, but I’m not sure I like that I’m sleeping less!