One of the reasons I’ve always loved doing live events is having memorable encounters with readers along the way. I call them my Unforgettables. One of the most memorable of those was, in fact, with someone I never actually met. I was autographing a book for a woman at the newly opened West Seattle Fred Meyer when a man, who turned out to be the woman’s husband, showed up behind her back. He peered at me over her shoulder, made a face, and then muttered in disappointment, “Oh, it’s you. I guess I’ll go home and order a pizza. She sure as hell isn’t gonna cook tonight!” That’s an Unforgettable for sure.
As part of my publishing contract, I’m entitled to what are called “author copies,”—twenty-five copies of the hardbacks and fifty copies of the paperbacks. I also receive author copies when older paperbacks are reissued. If you multiply that by sixty-some books over a period for forty-some years, that adds up to a lot of books—hundreds of books, in fact, which I’m not allowed to sell. So, they gather dust—boxes and boxes of them.
For a while, we stored the books in the attic of our garage here in Bellevue. After an earthquake scare in the Seattle area, my husband pointed out that the attic ceiling wasn’t designed to carry that kind of load. So in the early 2000s, when FedEx offered to ship books for free to members of the military serving in Desert Storm, we packed up 35 bankers’ boxes of autographed books and delivered them to FedEx.
Months later I received an email from a wounded soldier serving with the 85th Airborne Division in Iraq. Cesar Flores was in the hospital recovering from injuries sustained when an IED destroyed the vehicle in which he was riding. He had been the only survivor. While in the hospital, he was given one of those books, a signed copy of Desert Heat. The southern Arizona setting had reminded him of his home state of Texas. He and I corresponded for months after that. Much later, when I had a cancer scare—solved one-and-done by surgery—he sent me his St. Micheal’s medal to keep me safe. St. Michael is the patron Saint of the 85th Airborne. Another Unforgettable.
That FedEx shipment happened a long time ago, which means lots more boxes filled with author copies have arrived over the years. At last count there were seventy banker’s boxes stowed in our storage unit. Fortunately, the unit has a concrete floor, so weight isn’t an issue.
A few months ago I read an article about a young man here in Washington named Bryson Fico. He had started an organization called Pages of Redemption which provides donated books to jail and prison facilities all over the state. Reading the article reminded me of yet another Unforgettable.
I was doing a signing at a library in Salt Lake City when a woman showed up asking if I would autograph a book for her son. While I was doing so, she explained that he had gotten caught up with the wrong people in high school and ended up spending several years in juvie. While there, he somehow started reading my books, and his mother said that reading stories about normal people helped him change his life. By the time we spoke, he was on the straight and narrow, married with a young child, and working at a steady job.
At the time I read about Pages of Redemption I was deep in the weeds writing Smoke and Mirrors, so instead of contacting him right then, I made a note of the name and promised myself that I’d been in touch as soon as I finished the manuscript—in a couple of weeks, or so I thought. Little did I know it would take several more months, but when I finished, I contacted him.
Bryson and books for Pages of Redemption
He lives in Okanogan. He has a partner named Antonio who lives on this side of the mountains. This week the two of them, along with a third helper, showed up to take as many boxes as he could load into his Honda. It looks as though Bryson was able to take at least fifteen of those boxes back to Okanogan. Antonio will come collect the remainder sometime next week. I hope the books have all gone to a good home.
And now, speaking of crime and punishment, here’s a final thought:
The last two weeks have been appalling. Regardless of your political leanings, I can’t imagine not feeling sympathy for a mother having to tell her three-year-old child that Daddy won’t be coming home anymore because “he’s on a work trip with Jesus.” Or for a pair of shocked parents who had to see on the TV news for the first time that their son—the boy they raised—was most likely a cold-blooded killer, and then, once they knew that chilling truth, having the courage to actually turn him in.
Those people have been on my prayer list ever since that terrible Friday. If you happen to be one of my prayerful readers, I hope you’ll consider adding them to yours as well. Unlike Erika Kirk, I’ve not yet reached the point of actual forgiveness, but now I’ve added that troubled young man to my prayer list as well.
Maybe by reading books provided by people like Bryson Fico’s Pages of Redemption, he, too, will be able to find his road to redemption.
Thank you for another great blog post. And one that brings much to think about. I try to meter much of today’s news as it is sometimes so repetitive and sensational. That is for my own mental health. I keep enough to know what is going on in the world. With today’s 24/7 news cycle that is hard to do. I will say a prayer. It is how I end each day.
Amen
Thank you for mentioning Pages of Redemption! If anyone is interested in learning more about the organization, I have attached my LinkedIn profile, where I post updates on the progress I make with Pages of Redemption. As of September 26, 2025, Antonio and I have organized, counted, and sorted all the books we collected. We will be donating these books to a Washington jail this fall!
Thank you for mentioning Pages of Redemption! If anyone is interested in learning more about the organization, I have attached my LinkedIn profile where I post updates on the progress I make with Pages of Redemption. As of September 26, 2025, Antonio and I have organized, counted, and sorted all the books we collected. We will be donating these books to a Washington jail this fall!
Life brings us so many Unforgettables. Most of mine are remembered with a laugh & fortunately very few remembered with tears.
So sad, I will be praying for them all. Nice that you are giving your books away for a good cause!!
If you find yourself looking for additional places to donate paperbacks should they pile up again, Operation Paperback provides a way to send paperback books to active duty troops as well as their families and veterans organizations. http://www.operationpaperback.org
Cheers!
An Unforgettable blog, as so many of yours are.
I have been praying for Kirk’s family, but don’t know if I can pray for his killer. However, I can and will pray for his family.
Blessing to you and Bill.
You, are an amazing person…. this blog is a # 10
I love Friday mornings, thank you!
The most important trait one can possess is empathy.
Thank you.
I am right there with you – and with the wife of the man who had to have pizza for dinner – lol! My husband would have been similar! Hahaha – that still puts a smile on my face. What a remarkable journey God has brought you on, and I join with you in the prayers you mentioned, and for a long life for you! I’ve read all your books and passed them along to my reading friends. Again, a great way to start my Friday! Thank you!
I am right there with you – and with the wife of the man who had to have pizza for dinner – lol! My husband would have been similar! Hahaha – that still puts a smile on my face. What a remarkable journey God has brought you on, and I join with you in the prayers you mentioned, and for a long life for you! I’ve read all your books ??. Again, a great way to start my Friday! Thank you!
It was so wonderful to actually get to meet you at the Grand Opening of the Puyallup South Hill Mall Barnes & Noble. It was my very first book signing ever. What a privilege for me. I will also treasure the picture my friend, Janice, and I got with you. Thanks again for continuing to write.
Mary Farnsworth
One of the most wonderful posts yet! I look forward to them every Friday. This one just reminds me of what a wonderful, thoughtful person you are. I treasure the many times I have been able to see you in person and exchange a word or two. I miss them. I, too, am getting old–am 10 years ahead of you–and am not able to get myself too far on my own, but hold out hope for a close by event one of these days! Thanks for being you!
As always thank you for your wisdom and sharing your adventures. I understand why Erika Kirk forgave the shooter. Her husband was his victim and it she carried any other feelings than forgiveness, she would be his victim too. My prayers are with all the families that have been touched by this tragedy.
Praying for always as I have since the first Beaumont book came out!!
This is a memorable blog–one of the best. Thank you for writing and giving away the books to people who, hopefully, can turn their lives around. You are the BEST!!
You have a ministry going there that is touching hundreds of people. What more captive audience than someone in jail or in the hospital. Thank you for donating them and thanks to the shipping company sending them for free!!! I loved this blog as I too, am praying for the murderer’s parents.
My sister just sent me the Facebook posting of the grand opening of the Barnes and Noble in Puyallup. What a crowd and it had your picture in the posting at least three times. Looking forward to seeing you at Third Place Books on October 29th.
When I was an EMT I had to tell folks that their loved ones had passed. It was not easy as I knew many of them. 34 years ago this past 15 th of this month I did CPR on my mom. We got her back and she lived 23 more days I was there when she passed. At the funeral I was asked if was mad at God. I said know my mom was not suffering anymore. She was in a better place with her mom and dad and other folks. My mom gave me love and teaching me to read. She always bought me books for my birthday and Christmas. We would go to bookstores and spend hours. She would have been 98 this past July. Her birthday was 2 days before mine. Again thank you for bringing pleasure to us. Larry
I am one of your biggest fans and I also love your books. My kids know this and since I have had recent surgery, I couldn’t let my son take me to your session in Puyallup. Instead, he and his wife went and you allowed them to take your picture which they sent to me. Son Ron was much relieved when he told you our family story of how cousin Carol Murren was a helper at SPD when you first started out. You verified that. Turns out, I wasn’t just spinning yarns to my kids. smile. I went to a signing some years ago in Tacoma and I told you I was Carol’s counsin and you were so sweet and I was able to put you back in touch with Carol.
The Kirk family is stronger than I could ever be. Beautiful blog today. (typing through tears…. been doing a lot of that this past week)
Very well said! Thank you for sharing your fictional world, and even more poignant and beautiful, your real world. You are a beacon in a world that needs more light. I hope someday to be able to have such a lovely and powerful influence upon the world as J.A. Jance. God bless
Beautiful thoughts, and what a great ministry to get good reading to those in prison. Your books do inspire and I hope many read them and change where they’re heading in life!
you mentioned Smoke and Mirrors in the blog
did that get published as Missing and endangered?
Amen, bless you for giving that strength to others.
Liz
Thank you, Judy!