Michael (Mike) P. Spradlin, a prolific author and longtime sales executive at Hearst and HarperCollins, died on April 12. He was 65.
 |
|
| Michael Spradlin | |
Spradlin wrote a variety of children's and adult books, including the Spy Goddess, the Youngest Templar, the Rise of the Spider, the Medal of Honor, I, Q, and the Killer Species series. Many of his historical novels were set in the colonial and 19th-century U.S. and during World War II. These include Daniel Boone's Great Escape, Off Like the Wind: The Story of the Pony Express, and the WWII Adventure series, which includes The Enemy Above. Among his other, stand-alone titles are Baseball from A to Z and adult titles It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies!, Every Zombie Eats Somebody Sometime, Jack and Jill Went Up to Kill, Blood Riders, and Pirate Haiku. An Eagle Scout, he also published stories in Boys' Life magazine.
Spradlin was also a longtime book salesperson and sales executive. From 1989 to 1999, he worked for Avon Books and William Morrow at the Hearst Corporation, serving as national account manager, key account manager, regional sales manager, and national account marketing manager. After Hearst sold Avon and Morrow to HarperCollins, he was national account manager at HarperCollins from 1999 to 2011, where he sold several Harper imprints to Borders Group.
Spradlin was beloved by many inside and outside the industry, known for his sense of humor, his dedication, and his friendship.
A celebration of his life is planned for Saturday, July 11, in Lapeer, Mich. In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested making donations in his memory to the Family Literacy Center, Fanciful Farms, or the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.