Hello everyone.
I apologize for allowing so much time to lapse since my last update. I think it's high time to write a post and assure you all I'm alive and well, and give a bit of insight into my absence over the last two years.
First, my wife and I have settled well into our new lives in the US. Although it has been a difficult transition and we still dearly miss many close friends and Bible students from our previous assignment in Asia, living here has brought us new perspective, and we're busier than ever with theocratic activities. After three years here, we finally feel like this is home.
Adjusting to a new life, new work, new ministry, and new responsibilities is the primary reason I haven't had much time or energy to devote to new books, but there is another reason that I thought I'd share today with you all.
One benefit of having written most of my books in Asia was that, being a non-English-speaking environment, a very small number of friends in my congregation knew about them. As many of you already know, I am extremely careful about keeping my "EK Jonathan" persona (which is a pen name) and my actual identity in the congregation completely separate. (While some may find this odd, just imagine how uncomfortable you would feel if you were suddenly stopped at an assembly or convention by a small crowd who recognized you and wanted an autograph or a picture.)
Unfortunately, it was much more difficult to keep this a secret moving to the US. Sadly, I have found myself in situations with unwanted attention, and each time it makes me extremely uncomfortable, sometimes even resulting in sleepless nights. Unlike being recognized for giving a talk or being in one of our videos, these books are not strictly theocratic, nor are they sponsored by the society. As such, people have differing opinions about them. This is another reason I choose to remain anonymous––I do not want to stumble any in my congregation.
At the same time, over the past few years I've dealt with multiple instances of concerned Witnesses emailing me with demands about my real identity, location, contact information, or requesting my elders' phone numbers to verify that I am a brother. While I understand their concern, I always kindly point them in the direction of the Amazon reviews, which I believe are the strongest testament to the intention behind my novels.
Of course, this type of exposure was bound to happen as the books increased in popularity, but regrettably, it has slowly eroded my desire to continue writing.
I'm not saying that I'll never return to these stories, but the last few years have been a nice break. I'm glad to have been able to provide the stories that I did when I could, but I'm now enjoying the next chapter of my life not being EK Jonathan.
Thank you all so much for your support and kindness over the years, it means a lot!
Until next time, keep on enjoying the Best Life Ever...
