Many of you will remember posts from a year and a half ago about Reed Arvin (Rich's former producer) going through cancer surgery. Please find enclosed an update from Reed, and news about his latest project - a new book.

To the many fans and supporters of Rich's music through the years:

Although I have only met some of you, over the years you have played a large role in my life. You have paid my bills, encouraged me in my work, and in shown me that making music can change people's lives. It is an incredible privilege to have been a part of so many of yours through the music of Rich.

Some of you know that over the last year I faced a terrific physical struggle with cancer. I know that many of you prayed for me specifically. I am convinced that this made a substantial difference in my outcome. I'm pleased to say that I am cancer-free, and that for the first time since my illness I am feeling full of enthusiasm and excitement about creating again.

During my convalesce I honestly didn't have the energy to produce records; those of you familiar with the recording process know how physically demanding it is. So I kept busy writing another book, although it's not a follow-up to The Wind in the Wheat. Instead, it's a mainstream legal thriller with Christian themes. It is being published by Scribner, the most literary imprint of Simon and Schuster.

The decision to break out of the Christian Booksellers Association world and write a mainstream book with Christian themes was a very difficult one for me. I wrote the book with no deal and no agent, trusting that it would find a home. It was the right decision, and has already given me the opportunity to bring Christ into conversations all over the world. For example, I've found myself immersed in talks about faith with people at Paramount (who bought the film rights to the book), with Simon and Schuster, and even with editors in other countries. The book has been sold into several translations prior to its publication in North America. Only one publisher asked for the Christian content to be substantially diminished - Norway - and I respectfully declined publication in that country. But in other countries, from Germany to Japan - and, stunningly, even in Israel - the message was allowed in unscathed. If you're curious about the book, you can go to http://www.reedarvin.com/postcard.asp and follow the links from there to my site.

I'm currently traveling a great deal to promote the book, and I would love to meet as many of you as possible who live near where these signings are located. It's so easy to forget, locked behind the console of a recording studio, that there are real people all over the world who listen to the music and are greatly blessed by it. To shake your hands and hug your necks would be a thrill for me, and please don't feel obligated to buy a book if you make one of the signings. Or, if you own a copy of my first book or any of Rich's recordings, bring them and let me personalize them for you. In the next few days I'll be in Memphis, TN, Lexington, KY, Louisville, KY, Charlottesville, VA, and Richmond, VA. My schedule changes frequently, but it's available on my web page http://www.reedarvin.com/.

If any of you have questions about the recordings which Rich and I made, there is an email address on the site which will allow you to drop me a line. Maybe sometime we can set up a chat. There's a lot of fascinating misinformation about how the records were made, and it would be fun to clear up the myths. Believe me, the truth is usually stranger.

So - I wish blessings on you all and send you my love and gratitude for your support of Rich's music. It has, in very real ways, changed my life. It has empowered me to embark on the new adventure of bringing my faith into the mainstream of popular culture. Wish me luck and heave up a prayer when you think of it.

	Another local author, Jim Smith (left), came by the Watermark to greet Reed, and get a signed copy of the book.		Reed talked a bit about his life changing bout with cancer, his new book, and read selected paragraphs.
click on thumbnails for a larger image
	Reed signed books mostly for friends and family, being back in his hometown for the first time many years.		Reed with mom and dad.

Best,
-Reed Arvin

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