Big news. Big, big news.

First, a remembrance: On April 21, 1910, one of my personal heroes died. Mark Twain, née Samuel Clemens, had an undeniable effect on the world of letters, and an undeniable effect on a little girl growing up immersed in letters in a tiny town in upstate New York. I grew up not far away from where Mr. Clemens was buried, and my father, in fact, grew up next door to Mr. Clemens’s summer house – the very house where he wrote Huckleberry Finn, among other works. I often went to visit the Clemens family plot, and made some of my first excursions into writing fiction there; I read many of his works sitting at his feet.

Yes, I was a strange child. I know this.

What does this have to do with Candlemark & Gleam?

While the groundwork was laid through the winter months, and our first book launched in September 2010, I think of April 21, 2010 as our “birthdate.” One hundred years after the passing of one of my literary idols, I unveiled to the world a company that I think Mr. Clemens would be proud of – a company devoted to making sure that the best of what human minds can dream up is presented for others to enjoy, devoted to making sure that creators can be compensated fairly for their works, devoted to fully exploring the realm of the possible – and of the improbable and the utterly fantastic, as well.

What does all this have to do with that big news I mentioned?

We’re going to print.

That’s right, cats and kittens – Candlemark & Gleam is moving into print publishing. Starting in September 2011, one year after our first release, we’ll be making the jump to “full” publishing. We’ll still be releasing quality eBooks and innovative serials, but we’ll also be producing top-shelf trade paperback books, and also limited-edition handbound versions of some of our titles.

The first book to make the leap into print, appropriately enough, is going to be our very first title, Erekos. If you haven’t read this enchanting literary fantasy by A.M. Tuomala, do yourself a favour – pick up a copy. Pick up two, and give one to a friend. You won’t be sorry.

Other titles which will be available in print this autumn are (re)Visions: Alice (October 2011), Broken (November 2011), and our first multi-format release, Pilgrim of the Sky (December 2011, in Print, eBook, and audiobook – wow!).

In the days ahead, we’ll be setting up a pre-order system for all of these books, which will include the ability to snag exclusive goodies related to the books – keep checking back for more!

We also have another few announcements to make, so stay tuned…one year in, and we’re just getting better.

I think Mr. Clemens would approve.