TWA Ranked One Of The 10 All-Time Bestsellers from Black Rose Writing

Who would have thought, two-and-a-half years ago, when TWA was first published, that it would be a best seller? I was thrilled just by seeing it appear on-line that first day with a real cover. I figured at the time that I could probably guilt enough family members and friends into buying a copy in order to sell 100 books, and if that was where it ended, I would have been ecstatic. Even I underestimated Claire’s power to capture attention and build a following. Silly me!

As of this morning, TWA has been given 5809 Global Ratings on Amazon. I didn’t know what that rolling number by the Amazon title was until one of my writer friends, Colin Broderick, mentioned it. TWA has also held the number 1 ranking in Humorous Dark Comedy over a dozen times.

TWA’s success has also led to my writing/publishing four more books – An Alien Appeal (12/23/21) and Kissing My Ass Goodbye (3/24/22), which complete The Claire Trilogy, are also best sellers and, to date, have garnered 1607 and 1236 Global Ratings respectively. The prequel to what is now expanded to The Claire Saga, entitled Finding Jimmy Moran, dropped on April 24, 2023. FJM sat at the #1 New Release spot for a month and presently has over a hundred global ratings in just four months.

The sequel to TCS, Where The Ley Lines Meet, is just going through its polishing stages and drops on June 27, 2024. That completes this series. Or does it?

And it all started with my magic mule, Claire.

But the truth is that The Claire Saga‘s success does not arise from the writing. I am a journeyman writer at best. The Slip Mahoney of writers. It’s the readers and their response to the stories and characters in TWA that have driven these other books into successful existence and allowed me to continue to do what I love. Tell stories. And for that, I am forever in the readers’ collective debt.

Everyone of the fine, five readers that have followed this blog knows that The Claire Saga characters, good and bad, are based on my family, friends and frenemies. I love them all. I also love Claire. When I create the characters, I just try to describe those traits and characteristics that attracted me to their real counterparts.

The reviewers consistently note how much they enjoy and want to hang out with the characters. I get it. I have actually hung with them and had an amazing life as a result. I’ve had a lot of laughs.

I want the readers to feel like they are part of the story. That they there in the room, or in the fields, or in the space crafts with these characters. I want the reader to believe that if the opportunity presented itself, Claire would address the reader by name and offer them a seat at the table with the other magical misfits. In Claire’s world, there is always room at the table for one more chair. So, take a seat and enjoy.

I thank the readers from the bottom of my heart for giving me this amazing final act to a relatively interesting and rewarding life. I hope my story telling never disappoints you. I also hope that you all enjoy Where The Ley Lines Meet.

But before you read WTLLM, read (or reread) the other four books in order. I’ve plucked all the main characters that you have met in those books and placed them together to give them all their moments in the sun. I revisit and resolve all of the existing story lines, and add a few new interesting characters into the mix, also based on real people. There is love, laughter and loss. And there is Claire’s magical misfit family, now and forever.

I also set up the next series. But you won’t easily understand that unless you read all of the books carefully before WTLLM. Better yet, read them a couple of times to make sure you haven’t missed the clues. Talk about them in book clubs, in bars, on-line. Let’s turn this into an event, like LOTR, GOT and HP.

If my luck holds, Hollywood will come calling and then we can all share the experience again in a film or network series. Wouldn’t that be magical?

In the end, the reason I sat down to write TWA, was to prove to myself that anything is possible.

There is magic in this world. The above proves it.

Well, today is Thursday, which is clean up day at our jobs so that Friday can be used for daydreaming about the weekend.

I need to cuddle a kitty and do my rounds, then complete a legal project I’m working on.

You fine, five readers go out there and conquer the world.

But most of all, make today a great one.