Donald Thomas Owsley

1953-2024

Last Wednesday, we said goodbye to an Illumify author…

If you’ve attended our annual writers conferences, you surely met Don Owsley. He was an Illumify champion. 

In 2023, we released his book, Cultivating Kids, Enriching Parents. A retired pastor, he sought to offer an enlightening alternative to the authoritarian, punitive methods he witnessed during his career.

Don spoke from recent experience. When he was 65, after raising two children, he was thrust back into parenting and began raising his grandson. If you were friends with him on Facebook, you enjoyed his humorous posts about MJ.

But Don was more than an author—he was a friend. We met six years ago through the local Christian writing community, shortly after he and his wife Lois were given custody of MJ. 

Afterward, we met for coffee every two or three months. My interest in meeting with him was to process our war wounds after our careers in pastoral ministry. Come to find out, his wounds were much more extensive than mine. Nevertheless, he refused to be embittered by his experience.

“I want to publish my next book with Illumify,” he announced one time, during one of our coffee appointments. My intention was friendship, not publishing his next book.

Yesterday, Jen Clark, our Operations Director, and I attended his memorial service. Sitting on a coffee table as people entered the church sat the three books he’d written. Cultivating Kids, Enriching Parents, was his last one.

Reflecting on yesterday, an important truth struck me.

Please join me.

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What's Your Legacy?

Books are forever.

I’ve said it thousands of times, and meant it every time.

But Wednesday was different.

Here’s the truth that hit me hard: The legacy we leave behind are the lives we touch and the books we write.

In fifty years Don will be mostly forgotten, except among his family members.

But in fifty years, Don’s book on parenting will still exist. His book will reside on the shelves of people he never met. Unless the world comes to an end, his book will still be available through whatever retailers exist at that time.

Here’s the other thought that hit me: Sometimes the lives we touch are the result of the books we write.

You're probably tired of me saying this, but transcendent books change the world. Transcendent in quality and transcendent in message.

I know this sounds self-serving, but hear me out: the book you release today will still exist in fifty years. Cut corners today on your release, and people will be seeing it years after you’re long gone.

That’s why I implore you: Don’t release an inferior book. That’s not the legacy you want to leave behind.

While shoddy publishers abound, plenty of quality publishers exist. We're not the only one. But I believe so deeply in the quality of our releases that I'll shamelessly promote our services and our releases.

If you want to discuss how to change the world through your book, let's talk. Just click on the button below and let's explore the possibilities.

Rest in peace, Don. I’ll see you on the other side.

Next week, I'll be speaking at the Write His Answer Virtual Conference for Christian writers. I'll be conducting three workshops:

• The Art of the Hook: Crafting Irresistible Back Cover Copy
• Six Beliefs of the Platform-Building Mindset
• Write Better, Faster: Unleash ChatGPT’s Writing Powers

If you're interested in attending, click on the image below:

I'm excited to tell you about two recent books we released...

We all come into this life gasping for air then spend our years striving to make each breath matter. This book shows you how to use those breaths to slow down, look deeper within, and contemplate the health of your soul.

God placed distinctive gifts in you and uses them to help restore your soul. Each chapter in this book offers gentle consideration of soul health and includes reflective thoughts to ponder your soul's unique journey. With humor and unwavering honesty, author and speaker Janet K. Marks guides you to bravely face your spiritual wounds and rediscover your beautiful soul.

Read Inhale, written by Janet Marks.

Congratulations, Janet, on your breathtaking release!

Stephanie Murray is one of the most inspiring people I know. 

In her book, Coronation of Love, she shares her story of hiding her trauma and pain from her family, loving parents, and vibrant church community. In the meantime, her search for love led her into abusive relationships time and time again, culminating in a daring rescue by those who loved her best.

Stephanie's story describes her journey from victim to victor, from villainess to compassionate protector, and from bondage to liberty.

And she wrote the book as a single parent working a full-time job.

You gotta read her book!

Let’s bring your book to life!