I had hoped to make the announcement that I am embarking on a new adventure with a lighter heart. Unfortunately, a lot has happened in the last few weeks. Six months ago, Roxanne Jones, CEO of L-Book ePublisher, and I planned on making this announcement together. But sadly, Roxanne passed away on September 26.

As of October 2012, I will no longer be publishing with L-Book. My older novels will still be available from L-Book for now, but my new books, starting with Manhattan Moon (available now) and Something in the Wine (in November), will be published with Ylva Publishing, a German publisher who publishes books in German and English.

My decision to leave L-Book has nothing to do with Roxanne’s death. I decided to switch publishers long before September, and while Roxanne was sad to see me go, she accepted my decision and was supportive from the start.

I’m not jumping ship because I was unhappy with the royalties, the staff, or anything else at L-Book or because I stopped believing in L-Book now that Roxanne is no longer at the helm.

I received a fair contract with fair royalty rates, I worked with competent and experienced editors and proofreaders, and I had a say in the creation of my covers. Communications with the publishing team and my fellow authors at L-Book have always been open and friendly. Even now that Roxanne is no longer there to guide the day-to-day operations at L-Book, I don’t see any of that changing.

So why am I switching publishers now?

At the beginning of this year, a friend of mine established her own publishing company. You might have read my interview with her that I posted in May.

At the time I did that interview with her, I had no intention of switching publishers, but I followed the progress of her new endeavor with interest. She kept me up to date on all the new developments, and we exchanged ideas and brainstormed possibilities for her new publishing house. The conversations with her really reinforced my passion for writing and for publishing quality fiction. My friend and new publisher shares my attitudes about how publishing should be done: focus on quality over quantity, involve the authors as much as possible in every step of the process, and build a strong team to publish the best books you possibly can. Her company’s logo, a wolf, represents that kind of team (“pack”) thinking.

And then, one day, she playfully said, “You know, if you ever want to publish a book with me…” I don’t think she expected me to jump at the chance. She knew I was happy with L-Book and that I’m loyal once I made a commitment and don’t switch publishers at the drop of a hat.

Still, her offer made me think about what I want for my writing future. Joining Ylva Publishing gives me a chance to be even more involved in the publishing process, without having to go down the lonely self-publishing road. As much as I admire some self-published authors, I know that is not for me. Writing can be a lonely endeavor, so I don’t want publishing to be a solitary activity too.

And Ylva offers me something L-Book can’t give me. Ylva has a very versatile publishing concept. They will publish e-books and paperbacks, not just in English, but in German, my native language, too. So all my stories—may it be novels or short stories, e-book or paperback, English or German—can have one home.

It was a difficult decision to make, but I feel it was the right step at the right time for me.

I want to thank the L-Book team for their support during the last few years. I wish L-Book and its authors all the best for the future.

If you want to take a look at my new publisher, please visit Ylva’s English website.

Or click here for the German website.

So far, the list of published works is short, but I expect it will continue to grow quickly, so check back regularly and join us on this new, exciting journey.