Hey, thank you for buying a copy of my book.
Your order has been received and you’ll likely notice a line on your card statement that reads “Harter Research and Writing.” That’s me!
My publisher sends me copies of books that I myself pre-ordered wholesale. Then I send them to you. Because you bought directly through me, virtually all of your sale comes to me. In fact, anytime you can buy directly from an author, you should, even if the book takes longer to get to you. When you buy through bookstores or large retailers like Amazon, only about 10% of the sale — if that — comes to the author. It represents literally a couple of dollars. Buying from the author only costs them the wholesale printing cost of the book.
This book required over 83 hours, including multiple trips to Missouri, Illinois, and southern Indiana, plus time looking through newspaper clippings and photos on dusty shelves, examining glass negatives, talking with survivor’s families, speaking with meteorologists at the National Weather Service (thanks again, Sam!), and a team of editors and publishers.
Most of the books you see on the shelves, including mine, are written because someone wanted to ensure a story was documented or told. None of us do this for the money.
The 1925 Tri-State Tornado was impressive by itself, but I cared just as much about the storm’s aftermath, how long it took to rebuild, and the kinds of people who toiled at great risk to themselves to help save others and rebuild lives.
Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy reading the book. In the meantime, check out a deleted (and largely un-edited) chapter on Bush, Illinois that was removed for space.