Lost Aardvarks in Kansas

Hello all!

I am participating in the 52-week blog challenge, and I am a little behind. Consistency in this sort of thing is not one of my strengths. The subject of this post is something that happened to me.

A few years ago I went to a writing group in Topeka, Kansas called The Write Stuff. It was (and is) a varied group of writers who meet on Tuesday mornings. On one particular morning, I gathered my courage and read some of my work out loud.

I received encouragement and some gentle critique, along with an invitation to lunch with a bunch of writers. The weekly lunch meeting evolved into a gab session, friendly pool game, exchange of work-in-progress pages, and sometimes dueling marginalia.

Our lunch bunch sessions were interrupted for a couple of years during the pandemic. When we were easing back into our routines, the favored lunch spot moved, remodeled, and removed the pool tables. We bounced around for a bit until we found our current place.

A few weeks ago, my writer pal had a health scare. Without any close family, he began to think about some things.

In Charlotte, North Carolina in the 1980s, a group of writer friends decided to start publishing their short stories. When asked what they wanted to name the new publishing imprint, one suggested aardvark. Why Aardvark Press? Because aa is first in the phone book and who doesn’t want to be first?

Fast forward a few books, a few years, and a move to Kansas, and Aardvarks Press became Lost Aardvarks Press. A few more years, a few more books, and a health scare brought Lost Aardvarks Press to a turning point. Should it die out or could the torch be passed on?

I received an email one day asking me if I was interested in taking over the tiny operation. When the shock of someone offering to give me a chance at such a precious enterprise lessened, I thought about it for a few days. I knew in my heart I couldn’t let this fall. I swallowed my doubts that I could do it and said yes.

I am now in the process of moving all of my books under the Lost Aardvarks Press umbrella. The first official act as editor-in-chief of Lost Aardvarks Press was to publish a paranormal mystery, Baddington’s Tomb by Dennis E Smirl. I am uploading my books under the Lost Aardvarks Press umbrella. It will take me a few weeks to get them all up, but I will get it done. I will be publishing the next book in the Sandeen mystery series, Blood Kin (also by Dennis Smirl).

Will Lost Aardvarks Press become a force in publishing in the future? I don’t know. Some people think it’s possible. I’m determined to do my best and keep writing and publishing! Currently, the website is under construction so please be patient as we get the books up with purchase links and MORE!!

Until next time

me