MSI Press Blog

  1948-2021 It is with great sadness that MSI Press notes the death of Carl Leaver, CEO of the Press and typesetter and graphic designer par excellence . Many authors have expressed not only condolences but also a sense of legacy from covers he designed that they love.  Here is his obituary: On August 16, 2021, Carl Don Leaver of San Juan Bautista passed into eternal rest. A forester with the US Forest Service in Idaho and Montana, he turned to nature photography while working in the Bitterroot National Forest. His photographs graced national magazine covers and on a weekly basis the local paper of Hamilton, MT, the Ravalli Republican. He later worked on photography projects for the US Army (AFEES) and taught photography at the New York Institute of Technology in Amman, Jordan. His final career change led him to computer graphics and publishing as co-owner of MSI Press LLC; his many typeset books and book covers have helped MSI Press authors win a large number of awards over t...

    1948-2021 It is with great sadness that MSI Press notes the death of Carl Leaver, CEO of the Press and typesetter and graphic designer  par excellence . Many authors have expressed not only condolences but also a sense of legacy from covers he designed that they love.  Here is his obituary: On August 16, 2021, Carl Don Leaver of San Juan Bautista passed into eternal rest. A forester with the US Forest Service in Idaho and Montana, he turned to nature photography while working in the Bitterroot National Forest. His photographs graced national magazine covers and on a weekly basis the local paper of Hamilton, MT, the Ravalli Republican. He later worked on photography projects for the US Army (AFEES) and taught photography at the New York Institute of Technology in Amman, Jordan. His final career change led him to computer graphics and publishing as co-owner of MSI Press LLC; his many typeset books and book covers have helped MSI Press authors win a large number of ...

  We pause our Tuesday talks with authors to share information about to share our activities today, August 16, the one-year anniversary of the death of Carl Leaver, MSI Press co-faounder, primary graphic designer, and usual typesetter. We asked everyone who knew him to eat a piece of chocolate in his memory. It is not too late for others to do the same. Rather than repeat the in memoriam statement of a year ago, here is the link: IN MEMORIAM CARL LEAVER . More posts about Carl can be found HERE .  We began the day at the cemetery, beside his vault, and shared a rosary and his favorite breakfast -- corned beef hash -- with him, placing a favorite tablecloth from Damascus, with fine gold-thread embroidery that is unique to that area where Carl had spent time. Then we took some coffee cake bread to the firemen who so many times during the last months of his life would come and pick him off the floor or take him to the hospital. After that was lunch with friends and the priest wh...

  Today's book back story is about  Overcoming the Odds,  edited by Carl Leaver. From the publisher -  At one point in time, MSI Press embraced the idea of a book of excerpts to use in book promotion. The idea was to put these in various waiting rooms, such as medical clinics, to give people something interesting to read -- and the opportunity to order the full book from which their favorite excerpts came.  Carl selected some of the most heartwarming and triumphant books we had published for excerpting in Overcoming the Odds .  That book has served its purpose. It no longer sits in waiting rooms; however, it is still available for purchase from MSI Press . For more posts about Carl Leaver and this book, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter (recentof  releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, author advice, and more -- stay up to date) Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagr...

  Emergencies don’t always come with flashing lights. Sometimes, they come with silence. My son—45, living with CHARGE Syndrome—was eating in a booth at Fosters Freeze when he began choking. He stopped talking and sat perfectly still, rigid. A super example of hyperactivity, he does not know to sit still; this was not normal. Then, his body turned rubbery. His skin changed color. His eyes locked and rolled back. He wasn’t breathing. We were the only customers. I asked twice— please call 911 . No one moved. And so, I stopped speaking. I stopped asking. I did what decades of caring for him trained me to do. I tried to save him. He was wedged into the booth. I couldn’t lift him out—I couldn’t fully lift him at all. I managed to pull him partway out, enough to get his head hanging down over the bench. I hit his back, again and again, and waited for breath to return. It took minutes. I’m not sure how many—time doesn’t tick normally when your child is blue. Eventually, his lungs be...

  Cancer Diary, begun after the death of Carl Leaver from a so-far-inexplicable and very aggressive cancer, Cancer of Unknown Primary , takes the day off on March 20 to mark his second marriage anniversary in Heaven. Carl was married March 20, 1970 and died August 16, 2021, five months after being diagnosed with CUP. Carl's wife marked this special day with lunch at Carl's favorite restaurant, Pizza Factory, with his lookalike son, who has CHARGE Syndrome , and the son's caregiver and her family. Carl's Cancer Compendium, founded to help families who suddenly find themselves faced with a diagnosis of cancer with little places to turn except lots of time lost to Internet research, updates the site weekly. This week a major reorganization was begun to make the site easier to read and a place where information can be found more quickly. Check it out! (It is quite fitting that today is also Nowruz , a new year and time of new beginnings.) For other Cancer Diary posts, clic...

  Today would have been the 54th anniversary for Carl  and me. Last year, I spent it in the cemetery with Carl, as I did the year before. This year I cannot because I am in Bandung, Indonesia, but perhaps that is just as well.  On our 51st, he was alive, but not well. Three weeks earlier, he had fallen, been xrayed, and found to be in the advanced stage of cancer of unknown primary , with liver, lungs, bones, and stomach completely riddled with cancer cells, blood clots in his lungs, and his bones throwing off cells to create hypercalcemia, the reason he had fallen. It was a difficult time. We were just coming out of the covid months. We brought our CHARGE Syndrome son CB who had been living in group homes for 20 years home when they were not careful with protection from covid. At the same time, our spina bifida daughter, who lives about 30 miles to the south of us, independently, with a county-provided part-time aide lost her caregiver to surgery and no one wanted to tak...

  This week's book back story features Intrepid: Fearless Immigrant from Jordan to America by Carl and Betty Lou Leaver from the publisher -- When Carl Leaver's beloved cat -- with quite a unique personality -- died from cancer, he found one way to deal with his grief was to compile the pictures he had made over the 11 years of Intrepid's life into a story. For sure, Intrepid did have a story. Ironically, Carl died from cancer three years ago. Intrepid is buried with him. Purchase the paperback at 25% discount with coupon code FF25  at the  MSI Press webstore . For more posts about Carl Leaver and his books, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start? Our  author au pair  services will mentor you through ...

The Leaver Ofrenda, 2025 Carl Leaver, the beloved typesetter for MSI Press, was born on November 1—a date that holds deep spiritual resonance. It’s All Saints Day, a time to honor those who lived with quiet holiness. And just one day later comes Día de Muertos, the vibrant remembrance of those who have passed, celebrated with altars, marigolds, and stories that keep their spirits close. Carl now belongs to both days. He is not overshadowed by them—he becomes greater as part of them. Our family celebrates Día de Muertos not only to remember Carl, but to place him within a sacred rhythm of continuity. His birthday opens the door to remembrance, and Día de Muertos lets us walk through it with joy, color, and reverence. We light candles, place his favorite tools and books on the ofrenda, and tell stories of his gentle precision and quiet humor. He is not lost—he is woven into the fabric of these days. 🌼 About Día de Muertos Celebrated from October 31 to November 2, Día de Muertos is ...