I’ve been teasing it on my newsletter throughout the year and rarely mentioned it here on my site, but today is the day that you can finally get your copy of The McCray Parables: The Fountain of Truth in e-book and paperback formats, with hardcover and dust jacket available in the next day or two (whenever the distributor approves my files).
Don’t want to waste time reading about it? Then you can visit the retail links now.
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But in case you need more information…
The Book
A tablet showcases the book “Fountain of Truth” against a festive red background adorned with holiday decorations. Tease your imagination with echoes of popular shows, as the next captivating installment in the McCray Parables is set to be released in December 2024.
Boy meets girl. Boy tells three Christmas stories to BS girl into dating him. Boy should probably keep his mouth shut.
It’s Christmas Eve, and Douglas McCray, chief holiday grinch, has just met the woman of his dreams.
Miranda is visiting his company on business, trying to sell it marketing materials it doesn’t want and having no luck. But when Douglas’s attempted introduction accidentally fools her into thinking he’s in management with the power to buy the products she’s peddling, he must tell her three holiday-themed stories to backtrack on his deception and convince her he’s neither a liar nor an idiot, while also helping her get the sale she wants, and maybe, hopefully, getting a date out of her in the process.
The McCray Parables: The Fountain of Truth is the retelling of the original stories from the 2015 edition of The Fountain of Truth, which include “The Fountain of Truth,” “Christmas Log,” and “St. Nick’s Gym,” all now re-imagined as catalysts for a new ongoing series featuring Douglas, Miranda, and their cast of wacky friends and coworkers, continuing the tradition of telling feel-good fables at Christmas while simultaneously teaching its storyteller a lesson in humility and thoughtfulness.
This updated edition also includes the follow-up story Happy New Life. In Happy New Life, Douglas and Miranda meet for dinner on New Year’s Eve and learn shocking truths about each other while telling the stories of “Happy New Life,” “New Fear’s Eve,” and “Hopeful New Wife” to gain the upper hand over the other in a tug-of-war battle exposing the realities of a future where they might hit it off but also possibly regret it.
Will their storytelling bring them closer together in a lifetime of happiness, or will it set them up for failure and heartbreak?
The McCray Parables is the official launch of a new holiday series inspired by the stories of The Fountain of Truth and will continue Douglas and Miranda’s story in future installments.
The Event
The McCray Parables: The Fountain of Truth is available for sale online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple (needs verification), Google Play Books, Smashwords, and probably a lot of other places I know nothing about. The e-book is also available on Everand (formerly Scribd) and Kobo Plus if you have a subscription with either of these platforms.
For this week only, you can buy it for just $.99 US. On January 1st, the price goes up to its regular price of $2.99. So, get it this week.
The book cover titled “The Fountain of Truth” by Jeremy Bursey, part of the McCray Parables series, features a snow globe filled with gifts, snowflakes, and holiday decor.
You can also get the paperback version at Amazon, but other stores like Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and maybe Gardners, and I don’t know—so many possibilities—should also have it soon, if not already (again, I just approved the title for these markets, so it may take a day or two for their systems to receive it—maybe longer considering the holidays). Remember, it’s available for purchase online. You still won’t find it on the shelves at the physical places, at least not today.
The permanent price for the paperback in all stores (including Amazon) is $14.95. The book itself is 226 pages, plus introduction, title page, and backmatter, so the whole thing comes in at 245 pages. It also has illustrated sections at the start of each book (The Fountain of Truth and Happy New Life) and at the top of every parable, giving it that timeless holiday feel (well, timeless if you’re reading it in December).
Released in the celebrated McCray Parables collection, this colorful book cover features “The Fountain of Truth” by Jeremy Bursey. It includes festive elements like Christmas lights and a fountain pen, with a summary of holiday-themed stories adorning the back.
The hardcover version, not yet released but will be as soon as the distributor sends me back the files for approval, will be sold for $27.95. Again, I would lower the price if I could, but to make it available at Barnes & Noble and other stores, I have to allow for a 55% discount, which cuts deep into available profits, and this is what I have to charge to make $1.50 in profit. Yeah. Really. The book industry is a racket.
The newly released book cover of “The McCray Parables: Fountain of Truth” by Jeremy Bursey showcases a snowy globe against a festive background, capturing the essence of the holiday-themed stories nestled within.
Please note that all books are in black and white on cream paper. I was tempted to make the hardcover version in full color, but I balked at the cost of printing and distribution. To make just a dollar in profit, I’d have to charge almost forty bucks for it! Er, no. That said, if there’s a demand for it, I’ll change my mind. But I probably won’t go near that possibility until sometime after the next two or three books in the series are released.
Open book with text on the left page and a colorful illustration of a champagne bottle on the right. The title “The Fountain of Truth” appears over the bottle, reminiscent of McCray Parables, recently released to captivate readers’ imaginations.
Image of a digital book layout in editing software, featuring two pages of text with a colorful illustration on the right. The content from the freshly released “McCray Parables” is displayed as various editing toolbars and panels are visible.
Also note that this story will be getting an exclusive tie-in short story called “The Elf and the Shoe” that my newsletter subscribers get at no cost. I’m still writing it, but it’s looking good so far, and I expect to have it finished in the next couple of days. Subscribers will be notified in a separate email when it’s ready for download. Everyone else will be left in the dark. Sorry. You should subscribe to my newsletter. It’s free, and I write about book progress, thoughts of the month (called “features”), bonus content, including book reviews, and app recommendations. Subscribing will also get you access to exclusive bonus stories like “The Elf and the Shoe.”
Cover of “The McCray Parables: The Elf Shoe” by Jeremy Bursey. Features a child dressed as an elf sitting thoughtfully in a snowy setting, surrounded by snowflakes. This magical scene invites readers into a whimsical portal of imagination and adventure.
The Timeline
So, the holidays are almost over, and January will be here before you know it. Therefore, the best time to get your copy of The McCray Parables: The Fountain of Truth is today.
The Sample
In case you need a preview, here is the book’s first chapter:
The Decision
I don’t finish books often anymore, so it’s a big deal when I hit “publish” on a new title. I hope that for just $.99, you’ll give the e-book version a chance. Even if you don’t plan to read it this year, the act of telling Amazon (or whoever) that “Yes, this book is worth my dollar” will let it know that it’s okay to keep showing it to other buyers, making it more likely that I can keep writing more books for you and others to enjoy without burning myself out and wishing a Christmas tree would just fall on me already.
It’s just a dollar this week. One-click. Then read it or forget about it. But you should read it. It’s good.
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And if you do read it, don’t forget to leave a review. Potential buyers crave reviews and both they and Amazon tend to shun any book that lacks them. So, please read, and please review.
Oh, if you’d like an advanced review copy instead of a retail copy, I do have some available. Bear in mind that even though this is a free and complete copy of the story, I’m offering it under the hope that you’ll review it for Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and/or your reader blog, YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok channel. If you download this copy, please consider reviewing it.
Thank you.
Happy reading in advance!
Enjoy your holidays.
–Jeremy
Thought of the Day: Will this book still be relevant in July?
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