Behind the Claus Universe

I spent an hour with Rikki Meece talking Claus Universe series, the inspiration behind it, and how the last couple books were influenced by the loss of our son, Ben.

https://sbmchristmas.libsyn.com/claus-universe

Candyland: The Battle of Naughty and Nice

 Book 12 available for pre-order. It will launch at the usual time of year on November 1.

King Chocolate is the super fun antagonist this time. He could be as unlikeable as Aunt Rinks in last year's Nutcracker. Oh, and--surprise! Aunt Rinks is back in this story. She deserved a reboot. Probably not in the way you're thinking.

Anywho, if you want to pre-order on Amazon to it get delivered to your phone or Kindle or whatever you read words on, you can do that now.

I'll make it available for the non-Amazon readers sometime soon.

https://amzn.to/4e4kKAJ

BEN IS HERE shirts now available!

Our son, Ben, passed away on April 30, 2023. He was 28.

We printed a batch of BEN IS HERE shirts for the first Bertauski Open at the Bridge Spot held on his birthday in September. Now those shirts are available in different sizes, colors and designs. You can order online at https://benishere.creator-spring.com.

• The skate logo Ben designed in middle school.

• The three clouds is the tattoo he had on his back.

• The handwriting is his.

All profits will be donated to Ben’s Friends, a program for those struggling with addiction and substance abuse. For more information, go to: https://www.bensfriendshope.com/

BEN IS HERE is our rally cry. As long as we’re here, so is he. We miss his smile, his laughter, his presence. We’ve sent thousands of BEN IS HERE stickers all over the world in his memory. Thank you to those who have sent back photos. The locations of these stickers are posted on Instagram @benishere_bertauski.