When an Author Passes On…

This past June (2026) I lost one of my dearest friends. The sad, truthful fact is that we’ve never met in person. Allow me to explain. We were virtual BFFs from the get-go when we were introduced through our now defunct publisher, Musa Publishing back in 2011. Her pen name was Sloane Taylor, and we were as opposite as you can get. She wrote erotica, and later penned five seasonal cookbooks. I wrote for a young adult audience, specifically time travel adventures and teen psychic mysteries. Different? Absolutely. But we connected in a way that I can’t even articulate. It was just a strong feeling that we belonged in each other’s lives. We were soul mates, writing in distinct genres, for the same publisher, and it was like the Universe conspired at the right time, in the right place so that we would conveniently connect.

The owners of Musa Publishing asked Sloane to load and schedule the publisher’s blog when an author submitted a post. She accepted, and was excellent at the task, yet some authors tagged her the ‘Blog Dragon’ as Sloane was a no-nonsense kind of gal. But it was her sense of humor that brought us together, and kept us laughing, up until the day she passed away. Our fifteen-year journey together saw many changes in our publishing world, seeing publishers, as well as authors, come and go. We started an amazing group of writers, at first called The Wenches of Words, then later, Authors Moving Forward. The group is still ongoing, though a little smaller in numbers now, and missing its ‘fearless leader’, as we had nicknamed Sloane. I’ll continue to post her various recipes that she’d formatted for the group until they run out, with the hopes that her legacy will live on for years, especially on the global dining tables.

With Sloane’s passing on, this brings me to an important question for all authors out there. What should,
no must, authors do for their loved ones while they are still alive? First, and foremost, you need a legal Will (a no-brainer in my mind) to direct where the royalties will go after the author has deceased. Second, draft up a Letter of Final Instructions for your lawyer to provide to your executor. What’s that you ask? It’s a document to your heirs to pass along your passwords, contacts, and any information they may need to help them with your writing business and affairs. The first step should be to contact your publishers if you went the traditional route.

This Letter of Final Instructions is basically a list of contacts to help make the process of seeing to your deceased loved one’s affairs and wishes, as easily and painlessly as possible. This letter should include the following contacts: Publishers, Literary Agent (if you have one), Accountant, Lawyer, Life Insurance Agent, Web Designer (if you have one), Online Banking information, and a list of passwords for your email, social media accounts, and any utility accounts you have. Don’t forget your Online information, such as: Website link, Blog link (if you have one), and Social Media links (Facebook, Amazon Author Page, etc.) so your executor or heirs can get into them, and if necessary close them. Hopefully, my friend Sloane made sure that everything was in order after she passed away.

When someone who was important as Sloane was to me passes on, it makes you think about what they’ve taught you throughout the course of the relationship. It really didn’t take much thinking. Sloane Taylor taught me how to be brave, to be courageous, and stand up for myself. She didn’t play small, and reminded me that I shouldn’t either. However, the biggest lesson she relayed was that the gift of humor shines through, even in gravest of circumstances. God Bless you, Sloane! May we enjoy our favorite adult beverages on the heavenly veranda when the Divine timing is right again.

Note to Authors: November is Make a Will Month in Canada. It’s an annual campaign to encourage adults to draft or update their legal wills. It is my hope that you find the above information useful, and will take the appropriate steps to see that your wishes are carried out.

Cheers, and as always, thank you for reading my blog!