Judgment Day!

My sample copies have arrived! Yesterday ( if you checked out my last blog ) I got a wonderful surprise---ten copies of Judgment on Tartarus arrived via UPS! You can imagine my excitement as I unpacked those books and held the first pristine copy in my hands. I had prepared myself to be disappointed with the workmanship. I was not.

It was the fulfillment of a long-held dream! The cover is beautiful, the colors are rich, the stock, shiny. The book looks like one you'd pick off the shelf of any bookstore. Only I wrote this one! Hard to get that through my head.

As I've blogged previously, Judgment is up on Wheatmark's website www.wheatmark.com/bookstore. You can view the cover there---though it's much more impressive in real life. Keep checking Amazon.com, Borders.com and BarnesandNoble.com for the next couple to three weeks. They are supposed to list Judgment, hopefully at a discount and with the back cover text I've already given you a sneak peek at. It still remains to be seen whether they'll offer the "Look Inside" feature. Now that the book's been published, I can't quote from the contents, nor can anyone else, without the written permission of the publisher. That really feels odd!

All for now,

MRTighe

Surprise!

Hello there!

Got an unexpected e-mail yesterday from my publisher telling me my Author's Sample copies had shipped and were on their way! Wow! I really expected it would take at least two more weeks--glad I don't have to wait. I am not exactly a patient wait-er. So in the meantime I'm trying to accomplish something while waiting for the UPS truck.

Hoping I won't be severely disappointed,

MRTighe

Good News!

The good news is that I just got an e-mail from Wheatmark, my publisher, that my book is at the printers. Three to four weeks from today I should have the first copies of Judgment on Tartarus in hand. Very exciting! It should be on Amazon.com in about four weeks. Ooops! I think I told some people it would be months! Sorry about that. It may take a bit longer for them to get up the cover image ( which is beautiful by the way! ) and the Look Inside feature. Those will be up eventually; my publisher advises patience with Amazon.

I would be very grateful if you would refer friends, or anyone else you think would be interested, to my blog site. I'll provide more information here as it comes to me.

It's very cold and windy here in New England on the day before Thanksgiving. We will be traveling to NH tomorrow. Be safe everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!

Peace,

MRTighe

The Joys of Laptopping

Hey again!

After getting my first laptop not so long ago, I was soon ready to toss the dang thing out the window! It was so much different from working on the electric typewriter or word processor that I was used to. Took me some time to get the hang of it, and there are still things that are mysteries to me. Fortunately, I have a lot of help from my family, especially my computer-savvy kids! Without their help I probably would've given up --or quietly gone insane. Well, maybe not so quietly.

I still have trouble with some aspects of "laptopping"--like when the bloody machine insists I didn't really mean to use a certain word and changes it on me!!! ( I find my own vocabulary tends to de-volve rapidly whenever that happens! ) However, I've been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, and it looks like I'm here to stay. Well, back to the laptop! I'm in the process of editing Book Two: True Son of Tatrtarus, which is next up on the schedule.

All for now,

MRTighe

The Final Steps

Having overcome a few technical difficulties, I completed the final steps before publication: signing and returning my acceptance of my cover and proofs and signing my W9 for royalties. I took them to the Post Office myself as we are on a rural route and outgoing mail is not always secure. When you are a struggling writer, you come to know the Post Office well! I've sent out manuscripts often and usually receive nothing but rejections (a few accompanied by some very polite and encouraging letters, thankfully!)

I'll have a very hard time waiting the three weeks until I have my first novel in my hot little hands. I'm sure you understand why this is so exciting for me. I love to write. I scribble on every scrap of paper that comes my way. This can be very messy! Ask my poor husband who has to put up with my disorganization!

And, of course, I'm anticipating some negative criticism---I'm used to it. I used to belong to a writer's group. A few people there truly appreciated my work, but there was one in particular who refused to read anything that was science fiction. I was shocked by such a close-minded attitude. I believe in giving a book a chance. I may not love everything I read, but at least I'm willing to give it a try. Hopefully, since you're reading this blog, you are open-minded enough to give Judgment on Tartarus a try when it becomes available.

More later. Thanks,

MRTighe

Latest Info

Hi again,

The latest word I've received is that it takes about three weeks from the time my file goes to the printer until I'll be sent hard copies of Judgment on Tartarus. The better news is that people can preorder my book from my publisher's website http://www.wheatmark.com/ a day or so after it's uploaded to the printer. After the release date, the book can be ordered directly from the publisher. Two or three weeks later, my book will appear on most online publisher's lists. ( Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, etc. ) I'm not sure about overseas orders yet. I'm hopeful that our many friends in Cambodia will also have access.

Meanwhile, I am finishing up editing Book Two: True Son of Tartarus, which is a continuation of the same story. If anything, I think it may even be a bit better than Book One. I've already had some good feedback on it---and,no, not just from relatives! After all, who in your family is going to tell you they hate your book? Hmmm--now that I think about it...!

In the near future I'll probably let you know my reading tastes--more specifically than science fiction and fantasy. That might give you a good idea of whether or not you're going to like my book.

Thanks,
MRTighe