Melanie Wells I Told Two Friends Campaign

A special message from author Melanie Wells (When the Day of Evil Comes, Soul Hunter, My Soul to Keep) about her ambitious I Told Two Friends campaign:

Hi. It’s me, Melanie.

Someone asked me recently – why literacy? Why would anyone give away $100,000 (100% of my profits from sales of My Soul to Keep) to teach illiterate adults how to read? (Okay – fair question. I admit it sounds a little crazy. It’s not like I’m dripping with cash).

Two words: compassion fatigue

Here’s the deal. I support several causes vigorously and regularly (and so should you!) In fact, if you’ll notice, each of my books centers around a cause. When the Day of Evil Comes concerns family violence and suicide. The Soul Hunter references violence against women and lost teens. And My Soul to Keep is about child abduction. I don’t write about these things because they’re morbid. I write about them because they’re IMPORTANT.

But the truth is, I sometimes feel exhausted and overwhelmed by the number of problems out there. Don’t you?

Illiteracy, it turns out, is linked to just about every evil under the sun. Child abuse, poverty, disease, hunger, violent crime, violence against women, HIV/AIDS… . You name it. In fact, illiteracy is one of the FEW things in this world you can actually do something about! A little money goes a LOOOOONG way. And the ripple effects are exponential.

Did you know 33 million adults in the United States can’t read at an 8th grade level? Do the math, folks. That’s 10% of our population. Wow.

17 million American adults can’t read well enough to earn a living wage.

62% of prison inmates are illiterate. Imagine getting out of jail and trying to make a new life for yourself when you can’t even fill out a job application. Do you want that guy back on the street with no job and no skills? Or do you want him to have every opportunity to become a productive member of society?

774 million adults worldwide are illiterate. 2/3 of them are women.

If a mother can’t read, chances are her children won’t be readers either.

It all adds up to one simple thing. A literate population is a healthier, safer, and more productive population.

If you’re reading this, I guarantee you that you take the ability to read this sentence for granted. Millions of other Americans can’t read it. They can’t read the aspirin bottle either. Or the street signs. Or a note from their kid’s teacher.

Most of us are completely unaware of this shadow population. How is it possible that millions of adults in the richest country in the world can’t read? (Click on Rosetta’s story. She’ll tell you all about it.)

The I Told Two Friends campaign was designed to give you a simple, painless, fun way to share the gift of literacy with millions of Americans. All you have to do is buy a couple of books, give them to two friends, and ask them to do the same (and so on, and so on, and so on…).

25 bucks and two friends can change the world. YOU can change the world.

Join us and be part of the solution!

Melanie

Visit the I Told Two Friends website to learn more!

Author Melanie Wells' Chararacter Peter Terry Provides Summer Thrills & Chills

Psychological thriller author Melanie Wells provides readers summer mystery, adventure and mind games with her Dylan Foster series – “When the Day of Evil Comes,” “The Soul Hunter” and the newly-released “My Soul to Keep.”

Through Wells’ edge-of-your seat trilogy, readers will follow the mayhem surrounding the eccentric and slightly compulsive university psychology professor, Dylan Foster, who seems to have the worst fortune. Whether it is being framed for the murder of a former student (“When the Day of Evil Comes”), dealing with a psychotic stalker (“The Soul Hunter”) or witnessing the kidnapping of a child (“My Soul to Keep”), Dylan always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Moreover, she can’t seem to escape from her own personal inner-demon, Peter Terry, who lives to engage her in mind games to steal her peace, joy and safety in the world.

“Summer is the perfect time to begin this series,” said Wells. “People relate to Dylan. She’s human, engaging and funny – someone you’d want to hang out with. The books’ quick pace and Dylan’s quirky character will keep readers turning pages, which is what every thriller writer strives for and what everyone wants in a summer read.”

Wells says it best with Foster’s opening line of the series, ‘It’s hotter than the eyes of hell out here,’ but readers will quickly feel a change in temperature as they get acquainted with eerie Peter Terry whose menacing antics are sure to bring a chill down one’s spine.

“Peter Terry is like a bad boyfriend who just won’t go away – a spiritual and emotional stalker whose aim is to disrupt your entire life and make every day difficult and daunting,” Wells said. “So he’s a metaphor for the opposition. We live in an oppositional world. Everyone has a Peter Terry – or maybe several – staking out their sanity. We’re all fighting that battle. As a result, I can’t tell you how many Peter Terry stories I hear from readers who have dived into the books and come up for air to identify their own Peter Terry.”

Wells, a Texas author and licensed psychotherapist, utilizes her 15-year experience as a therapist dealing with Peter Terry issues to write stories driven by real, multi-dimensional characters. In addition, Wells, who grew up in a musical family and is a musician herself, draws upon her lifetime of studying and playing music to use rhythm, melody and voice throughout her writing.

“I follow my characters around in my head, so often when I begin writing, I don’t know the direction the story will take,” Wells said. “It’s very organic, and quite unnerving not to know how the story ends – especially when you’re writing on a deadline. I find out the answers about 15 minutes before the readers do.”

Read our interview with Melanie here.
Read our review of My Soul To Keep here.

My Soul to Keep by Melanie Wells

Melanie Wells has unveiled the cover to her next novel, My Soul to Keep. Formerly titled Suffer the Little Children, the novel's tagline is: Why doesn't Peter Terry pick on someone his own size?

This is Book #3 in the Dylan Foster series, and if it's anything like its predecessors, it'll be a great read!

Read our interview with Melanie here.