This Crazy Business of Book Publishing

It's been a while since my last post and although a great number of things have happened since then, (mostly working hard on my next book) I'd like to share with you yet another story about THE DEVIL CAN WAIT. This is a murder mystery involving a cursed ring and for those of you who have followed my blogs and know of the many weird things that happened during the final stages of preparing it for press, what follows won't be a surprise.

THE DEVIL CAN WAIT, is the second in the Sam Harper Crime Mystery Series. It was initially written as a short story in 2004, then later was expanded into a novella in 2005, and was finally released in November 2008, as a 316 page novel. It was selected as a bronze medal finalist on May 29, in the 2009 Independent Publishers Book Award (IPPY).

I knew about this award in early May, but it wasn't official until the 29th when the winning entries were announced at the BookExpo award ceremonies in New York City.

I was thrilled beyond words and blogged a bit about it on June 24. As noted, I wasn't able to attend the event, but was assured the items pictured above would be mailed to me within days from their offices in Michigan. I waited for the mailman every day knowing that I wouldn't be able to believe I won until I saw the medal with my own eyes.

When the medal and certificate didn't arrive two weeks later, I wrote to the PR firm to ask about them. I was assured that the medal had been mailed out 3-4 days before. I waited another two weeks and wrote again. This time, I was told the items had been mailed to my publisher in the UK. Unfortunately, she lived in Germany, but good fortune prevailed and a family member received and shipped them from the UK to Germany.

I received this photograph taken by my publisher a couple of days ago with a note telling me the package finally arrived in Germany safe and sound and that she would send them on ASAP. Needless today, this medal has earned more flyer miles than the traveling gnome, but at least I now know they're in trustworthy hands.

Fortunately, the apparent curse couldn't keep the book from receiving wonderful reviewsor winning a prestigious award like the IPPY--not as long as Sam Harper's fans continue to read it. But it seems the curse insists on getting the last jab, because eight months after it's release, my bronze medal has gone on a world tour without me.

The Blurb:

The city of Chandler, Massachusetts is plunged into terror when the bodies of three local teenagers wash ashore. While homicide detective Sam Harper hunts down the guilty, a sinister plot emerges overseas. From the Vatican to the jungles of South America, a cursed black pearl ring, the demonic prophecy it represents, and the men who pursue its powers find their unfortunate way onto Harper's turf.

Enthralled by the ring's story and a front-page spread, newspaper reporter Jennifer Blake agrees to pick up the ring at a local pawnshop for her former college professor. When she does, unforeseen events shoot Blake to the top of Harper's prime suspect list. Soon, the seemingly unrelated cases converge and the heat is on for Harper to expose the truth behind a Vatican secret and stop the self-righteous man who does the unthinkable in the name of God.

To learn more about the story behind the story, go to...

To read an excerpt, go to...

If you're interested in purchasing an autographed copy, please let me know. My books are also available at Amazon, B & N and other online shops.

Have a great summer and more news to come soon!