Evelyn Byrne-Kusch, who ran White Bird Publications, died suddenly in early May. She was a wonderful woman, and I considered her a true friend.
Unfortunately, Evelyn precipitously died intestate, and White Bird, as an L.L.C., continues to "live on," despite the fact no one is running the corporation. This has created a number of problems for me and the other White Bird authors.
First and foremost, Evelyn never ordered more than fifty copies of any title from her distributor (IngramSpark). Moreover, she was the only person in a position to authorize additional printings. My fifty copies of If Music Be the Food of Love were sold out, and the book is now unavailable in print. Moreover, the digital version is overpriced: $7.99. I had spoken with Evelyn, and she agreed that we would generate more sales at $2.99 to $4.99 "to build a following." However, she died before she could effect this change, and once again, she was the only person authorized to do so.
To make matters worse, Evelyn never executed the order for fifty copies of Volume Two. Thus Paradise Regained and Lost Again is available only in digital format, again sadly overpriced at $7.99.
Like all White Bird Publications authors, I shall not receive royalty payments, since these went (and continue to go) into Evelyn's account, to which no one has access. To make matters worse, I had ordered a number of books (mostly as "advance reader copies," or ARC), and while she received payment, she died before she could execute it.
I am unclear about the legal procedures at this point, but I understand it may be two to three years before things will be resolved. Meanwhile, with Volumes One and Two no longer in print, publication of the others -- whether through another traditional publisher or via the self-publishing route -- must be held in abeyance.
Final word: Please do NOT order either volume in digital format, since royalties will not come to me for years. Instead, kindly "stay tuned," as I believe some sort of independent arrangements can be made with IngramSpark.